The Texas Mountain Laurel is native to Southwest and Central Texas. This tree’s wisteria-like flowers are one of the first signs of spring. These blossoms are usually dark purple, but sometimes you will find a pale pink or whitish one. The distinctive fragrance is much like a grape soda. The flowers are followed by a three-to five-inch seed pod that will harden by fall.
The leaves of mountain laurels are dark green and waxy. These fronds are poisonous to livestock while the flowers and seeds are poisonous to people. Deer are smart enough not to eat this part of the tree. This was sold out in December 2017.
This short flowering tree is so lush that you would never guess that it’s a desert plant. Desert willow grows naturally in West Texas and throughout the Southwest United States. This tree produces flowers from June through October on fresh growth, so feel free to trim it to maintain the shape and size you want.
The mature height of desert willows will be anywhere from 20–30 ft. but it is easy to maintain it as short as 15 ft. if your project calls for that. As the tree receives more pruning, the thicker and the lusher the canopy becomes.
Desert willow is not a willow at all, but a catalpa. However, the tree has willow-shaped leaves. In nature, this variety is found along streams and dry washes. Plant it in any type of soil but make sure it is well drained. Desert willow is an excellent parking lot tree, an appropriate foundation anchor, and a real butterfly and hummingbird magnet.
Wild Olive, or Anacahuita, is a South Texas staple. These trees love our heat and show it with big white blossoms from spring to fall.
The trunk is gnarly and rarely ramrod straight. The fruit, or olive, is not edible and a bit messy, so this tree is best planted over a lawn or ground cover. Expect a lower fork than other shade trees.
At maturity, these varieties are rarely taller than 10–12 ft. but are usually wider than they are tall. Wild olive is a suitable accent tree, understory tree, or parking lot tree. This tree also mixes well with palm trees.
Texas Persimmons is a wonderful small-stature tree. The bark of mature trees peels away, exposing smooth grey, white, and pink hues, much like a crape myrtle. Evergreen in South Texas, Persimmons will lose its leaves in winter in colder climates. The fruits on the female trees are edible and well-loved by birds, mammals, and us too! Texas Persimmons is drought-tolerant, disease-resistant and a wonderful addition in small sunny spaces.
Also known as Texas Lilac, Vitex blooms profusely from early summer through the fall. Pruning after a bloom flush will generate more flowers. This Texas Superstar is heat, drought and pest tolerant. We grow ours as multi trunked, accent trees. They are hardy through the DFW metroplex.
Vaseys Adelia grows naturally along the Arroyo Colorado in Cameron County. It is a spineless, multi-stemmed, upright native plant that birds and butterflies alike flock to. The leaves have a dark green color and it is easily trimmed to maintain its tall, slender look. Another terrific Texas native!
