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Bur oak
As the weather cools and the fall color first starts to show, it is the ideal time to plant shade and ornamental trees. The first step as you start the planning is to select high quality trees. Especially in the shade tree category, choosing from the natives is best. Look at these big growing oak trees: live oak, Texas red oak, bur oak, Mexican white oak (aka Monterrey oak), Lacey oak and canby oak. For you north Texas gardeners, staying away from water oak, pin oak, southern red oak, northern red oak, black oak and sawtooth oak will save you some frustrations and maintenance problems. They don’t like the alkaline soil. It is also fairly easy to get tricked by red oaks and canby oaks because they can be crossed with acid loving trees like pin oak and southern and northern red oaks. Working with nurseries and contractors you can trust is the key here.
Oaks aren’t the only strong native tree considerations. The other natives that I highly recommend include Bigtooth maple, Texas ash, cedar elm, bald cypress, Montezuma cypress and Mexican sycamore (yes, I know the last two are from Mexico but that’s close enough). One of the introduced trees that I really like because it has done so well in Dallas for many years is trident maple. Two introduced trees that I used to recommend but no longer do are Chinese pistachio and lacebark elm. There are several reasons and I will address those for you in a later column.
Mexican buckeye
Introduced foreigners that I definitely don’t recommend continuing to plant here include silver maple, silver poplar, Siberian elm, hybrid maples (except for Japanese maples), fruitless mulberry, Arizona ash and royal paulownia.
The smaller trees that we call ornamental trees are not quit so clear-cut. The natives that are just terrific include yaupon holly, Mexican plum, Mexican buckeye, redbud, Eve’s necklace, rusty blackhaw viburnum, Carolina buckthorn and escarpment black cherry. There are some palms as well such as sabal and needle palm. Some of the foreigners are very good and even better in some cases. They include crape myrtle, Japanese maple, Persian ironwood and Walter’s viburnum. It’s best to stay completely away from Leyland cypress and Lombardy poplar.
Texas red oak
Some of you may be curious about why I haven’t mentioned ginkgo. Yes, I do have the largest and fastest growing ginkgo in Dallas. It could be considered native because it is growing or has been found in fossils on all continents and most countries of the world. It’s a great tree but needs decent soil and organic management. More on ginkgo in a later column.
Dallas Morning News - September 14, 2017
Tree Planting Ideal Time is Here
Bur oak
As the weather cools and the fall color first starts to show, it is the ideal time to plant shade and ornamental trees. The first step as you start the planning is to select high quality trees. Especially in the shade tree category, choosing from the natives is best. Look at these big growing oak trees: live oak, Texas red oak, bur oak, Mexican white oak (aka Monterrey oak), Lacey oak and canby oak. For you north Texas gardeners, staying away from water oak, pin oak, southern red oak, northern red oak, black oak and sawtooth oak will save you some frustrations and maintenance problems. They don’t like the alkaline soil. It is also fairly easy to get tricked by red oaks and canby oaks because they can be crossed with acid loving trees like pin oak and southern and northern red oaks. Working with nurseries and contractors you can trust is the key here.
Oaks aren’t the only strong native tree considerations. The other natives that I highly recommend include Bigtooth maple, Texas ash, cedar elm, bald cypress, Montezuma cypress and Mexican sycamore (yes, I know the last two are from Mexico but that’s close enough). One of the introduced trees that I really like because it has done so well in Dallas for many years is trident maple. Two introduced trees that I used to recommend but no longer do are Chinese pistachio and lacebark elm. There are several reasons and I will address those for you in a later column.
Mexican buckeye
Introduced foreigners that I definitely don’t recommend continuing to plant here include silver maple, silver poplar, Siberian elm, hybrid maples (except for Japanese maples), fruitless mulberry, Arizona ash and royal paulownia.
The smaller trees that we call ornamental trees are not quit so clear-cut. The natives that are just terrific include yaupon holly, Mexican plum, Mexican buckeye, redbud, Eve’s necklace, rusty blackhaw viburnum, Carolina buckthorn and escarpment black cherry. There are some palms as well such as sabal and needle palm. Some of the foreigners are very good and even better in some cases. They include crape myrtle, Japanese maple, Persian ironwood and Walter’s viburnum. It’s best to stay completely away from Leyland cypress and Lombardy poplar.
Texas red oak
Some of you may be curious about why I haven’t mentioned ginkgo. Yes, I do have the largest and fastest growing ginkgo in Dallas. It could be considered native because it is growing or has been found in fossils on all continents and most countries of the world. It’s a great tree but needs decent soil and organic management. More on ginkgo in a later column.
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