Best Native Texas Trees to Plant in Fall
Fall is the best time to plant native Texas trees because it gives them three seasons to adapt to their new home before the heat of summer arrives, making them much more likely to survive and thrive.
This article will explore why fall is the best time to plant trees and give you some ideas for drought-resistant, shade-providing, fast-growing, and ornamental native trees for gorgeous Texas landscapes.
Why Plant Native Trees in the Fall
Fall is always the best time to plant perennials and trees. Unpredictable springs followed by hot summers can leave spring-planted trees struggling to survive.
Approximately 80% of a plant’s root growth happens in late summer and fall. This means that when you plant in fall, those trees will have three seasons to grow their roots deep and get established before the heat of summer arrives. This makes them less prone to water and heat stress and need less maintenance. On the other hand, spring-planted trees are usually much thirstier, require more maintenance and watering, and are much more prone to heat and water stress because their roots are less established.
Another reason fall is best is that the soil is still warm from the summer, so you don’t have to wait until it warms up enough to plant. This also means you can apply mulch immediately since you are not worrying about the soil temperature. Adding mulch in the fall also helps reduce water stress and watering frequency, and being left on through the winter helps protect their delicate new roots from the cold.
Finally, Texas tends to be windy in spring, so fall planting reduces exposure to strong winds while the trees are still trying to establish their roots in their new location.
Top Native Texas Trees to Plant This Fall
Of course, native trees are the best trees to plant in Texas. They are naturally beautiful and adapted to our climate, requiring less water and maintenance to thrive. Here are some excellent choices for your next happy and beautiful tree!
Drought-Resistant Native Texas Trees
The lovely Desert Willow is a gorgeous, hardy native tree naturally adapted to areas with full sun and low annual rainfall. Once established, it thrives in Texas xeriscapes with no water, although it will flower more profusely if given some (but not too much!) water. It has thin, willow-like leaves and produces gorgeous two-tone pink flowers followed by long, thin, legume-like seed pods that remain on the tree all winter after the leaves fall for some additional winter interest.
Image: Desert Willow is available now at Nativo Gardens!
Another good choice is the Texas Persimmon, which has low water needs once established. It produces small fruits that will grow larger if more water is provided, and they can be eaten or made into preserves. Otherwise, leave them on the tree, and they will make a wonderful fall and winter feast for our native birds. Native trees are critical for Texas wildscapes, habitats that promote native biodiversity by providing food, habitat, or both like the Texas Persimmon does!
Image: Texas Persimmons is available now at Nativo Gardens!
Shade-Providing Native Trees for Texas
The Cedar Elm is an excellent choice for a Texas shade tree. It grows up to 60 feet tall and wide, providing great shade and fall color. Since it is deciduous, it will offer summer shade but allow the light to pass through in the winter when you want the extra light and warmth. It does have medium water needs, so make sure you plant it in a location with moist soils or access to irrigation to ensure it thrives!
Image: Cedar Elm is available now at Nativo Gardens!
Fast-Growing Native Texas Trees
If you are looking for a fast-growing Texas native tree, then the Southern Wax Myrtle is a great choice. This multi-trunked large shrub or small tree, growing 6 to 20 feet tall, makes it an excellent option for a fast-growing privacy hedge if you want to block an unsightly view quickly. The fragrant leaves made it a popular choice for hedges near the home, and the pale blue fruits on the female plants will attract our native birds. The best part is that it is highly adaptable, tolerating droughts, floods, and urban conditions.
Image: Southern Wax Myrtle is available now at Nativo Gardens!
Ornamental Native Trees for Texas Landscapes
You cannot talk about ornamental trees without mentioning the gorgeous Texas Redbud. What stands out most about this magnificent tree is in early spring, before most trees show any sign of flowering or developing leaves, the Texas Redbud blooms profusely with reddish-pink flowers covering its branches, popping in the landscape and adding beauty just as winter comes to an end. In the summer, it has gorgeous green heart-shaped leaves that make a lovely small Texas shade tree, and in the fall, they provide a nice fall color. This tree is perfectly adapted to our climate with lower water needs than its cousin, the Eastern Redbud, and it thrives in rocky, sandy, or clay soils.
Image: Texas Redbud is available now at Nativo Gardens!
Another gorgeous native tree is the Texas Mountain Laurel. With its beautiful evergreen leaves and deliciously fragrant grape-scented purple flowers, this beauty will surely please! Plant it somewhere you can enjoy the amazing fragrance. The best part is that it prefers poor, rocky soil but will tolerate any well-drained soil. It’s also drought tolerant, requiring only occasional watering once established. One word of caution: the seeds it produces are toxic, so be careful if you have toddlers at home.
Image: Texas Mountain Laurel is available now at Nativo Gardens!
How to Care for Native Trees Before and After Planting in Fall
- Dig a hole about twice as wide as the tree’s pot but just as deep since you don’t want the root crown, where the root ends and the trunk begins, to be buried under the soil.
- Pre-water the hole thoroughly.
- If the tree likes richer soil or higher moisture, amend the native soil from the hole with lots of compost. Otherwise, if it thrives in poor soil, you may not need any amendments.
- Tip the pot sideways and tap along the sides and bottom, loosening the root ball from the pot, then gently shake it out of the pot and grasp it by the rootball rather than the trunk.
- Carefully loosen the roots with your hand or a small garden fork or trowel.
- Plant it in the hole and fill it with your native soil mixed with compost.
- To help retain moisture and protect it from cold, add a nice layer of composted mulch to the top of the soil, then top that off with a layer of coarse bark or wood mulch.
- Water thoroughly once planted.
- If you live in a windy area, be sure to stake the tree in place using at least 3-4 stakes with horticultural twine to secure the tree in place. Ideally, place some rubber tubing on the twine where it touches the tree so that the twine does not cut into the bark.
- Water as needed, depending on the soil moisture and fall rains; initially, expect it to be watered every 2-3 days.
- As the season progresses, slowly reduce watering to once a week, but do not water if the temperature is freezing outside, as that can damage the roots.
- By the following summer, it should only need occasional watering according to its specific requirements. However, some trees can take 2 full years to become established, so monitor your tree, never allow it to wilt, and adjust watering as needed.
Final Thoughts
Native Texas trees are always the best choice for landscaping since they are already adapted to our unique growing conditions. This means they need less water and maintenance to thrive and look their best. They are also critical for encouraging our native beneficial insects, birds, and other native wildlife, who use the trees for both food and habitat.
Reach out to Nativo Gardens today to find your next favorite tree!
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