Whats the best drought tolerant tree for N Texas z8? There are some apartments in our town and we are trying to fix up their landscape. We need a good screen tree, something like Eucalyptus, but that can handle brief freezes and long hot summers.
Whats the best drought tolerant tree for N Texas z8
Have you looked at Chilopsis or Chitalpa? I think the common name is desert willow.
Chilopsis
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/265/index.html
Chitalpa
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/58425/index.html
Drought tolerant, desert natives, good screening, beautiful blooms and a long bloom period, very low maintenance.
Desert willow would be ideal but they are on the expensive side. We can usually get 5-10 gal Bradford and Aristorcat Pears for $8 this time of year, while the willows are $40 for a 5 gal. Maybe Chinese Pistache would be a good one.
If you need quite a few trees, here's an option. Contact your local extension office or the arbor day foundation and you can get free trees suited to your environment. They are in multiples of 10 and are usually sapplings, under 3 ft. I did it this spring. I bought a new house with no trees and through the arbor day foundation recieved 10 desert willow sapplings, all about 2-3 ft tall for free. With plenty of watering those same desert willows are now more than twice the size.
ehhxcellent
Whatever you do, please don't get the pears! I'm not sure if they're invasive in your area like they are in some others, but they tend to be very short lived trees, so you'll be replacing them sooner than I think you'd want to.
How about crape myrtle? I'm not sure about the drought tolerance, but I see them growing in median strips all over the place here, and I think if they needed a ton of water they wouldn't be planted there.
The bradford pears are not invasive here, but they are way over used. Almost as over used as Crape Myrtles. Desert Willow is definitely a better choice. The only invasive tree around here I have heard of is the silk/mimosa tree. I see them growing wild on every corner. Allthough this drought is slowly killing them and the golden bamboo which is popping up in fields everywhere these days.
I forgot about Prairie Fire sumac, which is a native tree here and has incredible fall color. Its probably a lot more economical then the desert willow. Not sure how drought tolerant it is.
Would Bur Oak work?
Toby: I've been up to Dallas and they do by far use the most Pear trees of anywhere I've seen in Texas...but they are so short lived and brittle in the winds so not your best bet. I dug out my 4 new ones when I learned more about them and have a spot in my yard where I keep getting new growths of a Bradford to rip out!
Have you thought about a yaupon holly? They are evergreen screens. Or, if yaupon is too common, a possumhaw? They have some winter interest, too.
Desert Willow is a nice choice. There is also the Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum.
Of these, the Possumhaw and the Viburnum are native specifically to your area of TX. The viburnum is beautiful in bloom at the Dallas arboretum - good contrast w/ leaf/flower/bark. Or you can look up Viburnum rufidulum on the DG plant files - great pics there.
The bradford pears are not invasive as they are nearly sterile like the crepe myrtles. They don't feed native birds - you will have plenty of grackles and starlings roosting in them, however. And the pears soak up and need so much water!
Native trees/shrubs will take less care and less water - once roots are established - approx. 1-2 years.
You could try Flame Acanthus or Anisacanthus quadrifidus as an understory that attracts hummers and btfly. The bright flowers will keep cheer all summer and fall for your tenants and if anyone wants a patio or balcony btfly garden, they have a start. :)
Vitex and chinese pistache are good choices. The pistache would be a better screen and provide more shade.
What about Russian Olive? A friend of mine wanted to make a hedge instead of putting up a wood fence. She said they are vigorous growers. Can be pricey. From Ecolage.com: Russian Olive, Elaeagnus pungens, Wonderfully fragrant evergreen shrub! Tough, easy to grow and low-maintenance. Prefers full to partial sun and fertile, well-drained soils. Best known for its fast, vigorous growth, fragrant flowers and edible fruit. Excellent choice for nosy neighbors.
Size: Premium 3 Gallon Container $39.95.
I purchased the Sweet Olive from them and it arrived very healthy and is growing rapidly.
One month later:
I'm told the fragrance is wonderful when in bloom, I can't wait to find out for myself. So far, very little attention has been needed. I've moved it around the yard a bit and won't put it in the ground until it does bloom to see how close or far away from the house it needs to be.
Now my last suggestion: The 'Banana Shrub' Michelia figo. It has taken little to no effort at all. It too blooms and I have that one close to the door. As you open the door you have a light banana fragrance. It is evergreen here in Baton Rouge.
I love Russian olives too but they are impossible to find over the last few years in local nursuries and I am nervous to order on line. In the High Desert all the trees you mentioned grow here. Russian olives are not invasive to my knowledge unless you live somewhere like Idaho that has a lot more rain and cold. They have cool contorted trunks and multi stemmed, they allow filtered light. I vote for some of them too. Desert Willows are real nice to but watch for Borers in the desert with any soft wood trees. You will need a drink of systemic insecticide on the trees twice a year if they are prone to beetle borers.
Russian olives can either grow a bit like a bush if you keep them trimmed or look like a tree (live oak looking) if you trim it to one trunk and then branch off to two branches and then more. If I did this I would make the branching at least 4-5' high. It makes for a stonger tree.
You also don't want to get it too close to the house if you have gutters and don't have good covers on them. When mature they can throw down a bit of stuff that will clog up gutters.
Good advice. One 1 gallon tree I had grew 8 feet tall the first year and then gave up the ghost.
All olives need LOTS of water the first year or two... Then they don't care. They tend to have deep roots so can get water from other sources other than rain all the time.
The big fat olive was in a cement curbing bed that probably got too much water built up in it for the winter. root rot
yuck... yep... lots of plants like water but don't want to drown! *giggle
I just read about the Russian Olive in National Geographic. Its very invasive in Arizona and the SW.
I have decided on either Desert Willow, Texas Red Oak/Shumard, or Texas Sephora (eve's necklace).
The Sephora would be your absolute best bet. Native in this area and beautiful. The red oak can develop 'oak wilt' that can kill the tree.