I've been to the Texas A & M website, have great book resources, and have been to the good local nurseries - and now I need your experience. We are replacing a diseased non-native tree in our front yard. I love red buds, but would also consider a mid-sized tree that produces berries for birds. Yesterday, my neighbor's pecan tree had hundreds (yes, really!) of Cedar Waxwings resting for 15 minutes before moving on. I would have loved to provide them with a meal! Your experience would be greatly appreciated.
Frostweed - the rough leafed dogwood you gave me at the fall RU is happily putting on new leaves! That one is in my back yard - hopefully happy bluebirds and friends in a few years!
Need experience - Texas Native Tree
My two favorites are Texas persimmon and Possumhaw. The berries on the Possumhaw remain on the tree most of the winter. I love the gray, streaked bark of the Texas persimmon. It peels off much like the crepe myrtle does, but in shades of gray. The 1" fruit is loved by birds. Unfortunately, the sexes are on separate trees and it takes a few years to tell male from female. Possumhaw is also known as Winterberry. You can buy know sexed varieties. Small-fruited crabapples or hawthorns are a good choice, too. Youpon requires both sexes to produce berries. The shrub can become a small tree, but it is also very invasive. Bumelia and Foresteria are also very nice small trees that might work. We have all of these here on the ranch. I think the hackberries are too large, too messy, too short-lived and usually wind up full of mistletoe.They don't produce as many berries, though.
Maybe you should start with the birds you want to attract and work your way back to what would attract them. I would think you would want a tree that retains its fruit throughout the winter.
Texas Parks and Wildlife website is an excellent source of information:
http://tpid.tpwd.state.tx.us/ecological_regions.asp
This is a sample o what is provided for each species: http://tpid.tpwd.state.tx.us/species_report.asp?species=300f
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/
Bookworm, I think the trees that Bettydee suggested are all very good especially the the Possum Haw, for Fall and Winter fruit, it also happens to be beautiful.
You might also consider a Mexican Plum, Prunus mexicana, for a little larger tree with lovely flowers in Spring and fruit in Summer.
Maybe you could have one of each, since they are smaller.
For something evergreen you could try American Holly, Ilex opaca, a slow growing but beautiful tree,
or Carolina Cherry Laurel, Prunus caroliniana, a fast growing one, both have berries and are lovely.
Josephine.
My Mexican Plum never fruits, so maybe you have to have two of those, too?
Marylyn,
We have a Mexican Plum with the same problem — flowers but no fruit. None of the descriptions I've read mention needing two. Chickasaw plums produce tons of fine tasting fruit, but they sucker like crazy and are more shrub like.
Sorry for the delay in replying - I've been having internet problems - so thanks everyone for the suggestions. Does anyone have experience with an Eastern Palataka holly? Guess it's similar to American Holly, Josephine. I found couple at a tree nursery north of Houston. I've been watching the Cedar Waxwing flocks eat the berries off something like it in a neighbor's yard. Anyone know a source for Possumhaw? The pics of Mexican Plum also look gorgeous. I looked at those two on A&M's site and they looked very pretty. Thanks for all the advice. Choosing a tree is quite a decision!
Nancy
I was watching a flock of waxwings eating mistletoe berries today...of all things! I didn't know they ate those...lol
Melanie
I've ordered from Forest Farm before. The tube plants are on the small size, but they are a source of hard to find plants
http://www.forestfarm.com/
http://www.donaldburger.com/plants.htm
This one is wholesale only, but maybe you could find out what nurseries they sell to in your area
http://www.nativetx.com/catalog.php?sort=4&PHPSESSID=687a361575a7a5ea3ce9bb4bd3f61e1b
Possum Haw shouldn't be too hard to find if you check with nurseries that carry native plants.
I am not sure, but I don't think Palatka holly is a native.
I think you are right, Josephine. It may be native to Louisiana. Thanks Bettydee - I'll be spending some time on those sites tonight. And Melanie - waxwings were eating mistletoe berries? How funny that must have looked!
I'll let everyone know what I end up with - (when I can make myself make a decision, lol) you've had some great advice. Thank you! Nancy
We have Mexican plum, possom haw and hawthorn trees at the nursery (Discount Trees) where i work in Brenham.(between Houston and Austin on 290) We have several other native texas trees and shrubs. I don't think Savanah Holly is a native here, but it has pretty berries throughout the year. It can be pruned to tree form.
That's great info, jammin. The drive to Brenham will be getting more and more beautiful in the coming weeks! Maybe I should take a bluebonnet/tree trip! We've had enough rain this year and the wildflowers should be gorgeous. Is the Hawthorn a Parsley Hawthorn by chance? I'm intrigued by the pictures of that one. There's supposed to be one at the Houston Arboretum, but it won't be in full glory now since it's deciduous.
That's good to know. I would like to have a few hawthorn trees. Now I know where to get them.
Since we are talking about Mexican Plum, check out my tree, I took these pictures this morning.
It is about 20 feet tall and the most beautiful that it has ever been, we are very proud of it.
And a close up of the flowers. It smells like honey, and lots of bees are are around it.
yes, we have parsley hawthorn..we don't have many, so......
For several years we have had the pleasure of the cedar wax wings in our backyard for their "snacks". We have 3 youpon holly that fruit and a neighbor has has very mature cherry laurel. They are all a-twitter as they go from one variety to another until there is not one berry left. Then they gather shoulder (?wing) to shoulder on the birdbath as they get a deep drink of water. These trees are totally free of maintence or pests. At least in our experience. Do have to watch the bottom of the holly as it spreads through roots but has not been difficult to control.
I have both cherry laurel and yaupon holly and they are great trees, although ours are not fully grown yet.
A birding friend just gave me a copy of a Native Plant Society of Texas' publication of native plants for southeast Texas. (They have publications for different areas in Texas). Unfortunately, I left it in his car after a great birding trip this weekend! We saw some beautiful blooming Texas Red Buckeye on the way to Rockport. Today, I purchased the following: Texas Red Buckeye, Parsley Hawthorn, Rusty Blackhaw viburnum, Mayhaw, and Texas Mountain Laurel (which are beautiful around Refugio and in Houston right now!). I'm a little concerned about the Mayhaw due to size. Josephine - your Mexican Plum is so beautiful! Thank you for sharing the pics!
Here's the link to Native Plant Society of Texas: http://www.npsot.org/
You've shared some great plants with me! I'm still learning! I'll share pics with all of you in the future.
Nancy
Wow! that is a great collection of trees that you got there, I love the Red Buckeye, and the Mountain laurel, they are getting ready to bloom now but not there yet. Here is a picture of my Buckeye from last year. I hope all your trees do great for you.
Oh, that is so beautiful, Josephine! All the trees I bought were very small, so I'll have to wait a long time for results. How long did it take your buckeye to get that big? Did it drop its leaves in the heat of summer? I think I'll have to make room for a yaupon somewhere - I really love watching the waxwings, Lou.
Thank you Nancy. Mine is in a semi shaded area, so it keeps the leaves, but it does like water.
It took about 6 years, to get to a good size, they are slow growers, but very much worth waiting for.
Good to hear yours kept its leaves. I'm going to put mine under an oak tree. I keep re-reading the suggestions above - oh for more space! I'm going to try to pack in a Mexican plum somehow. They are blooming all over Houston right now and they are gorgeous. So... at this point, I'm still wanting the plum, a redbud, and a yaupon. I've taken out all the non-native, non bird/hummer/butterfly plants and I'll just have to get more creative with spacing. I may have to wait until next year, though... I'm way over my "budget"... lol! I compromised and bought a lot of flower seeds today instead of plants! Thanks for all the great suggestions, everyone!