Archives February 2023

The Best North Texas Trees

by Texas Tree Surgeons Resources, Tree Recommendations

The urban forest in North Texas has taken quite a beating over the past few years. From high winds and tornadoes in 2019 to freezes in 2021 and 2022, to varying drought conditions throughout, many trees have been damaged beyond saving. Now is the perfect time to start reforesting our community by planting hardy, long-lived trees that can thrive in our environment. Choosing the right tree to plant can be challenging, though. Many of the trees planted in recent decades are not well-suited or ideal for North Texas, and have had issues with diseases or pests, or have simply not lived as long as was hoped. Luckily, there are several types of trees in a range of sizes that can thrive here and provide years of beauty and enjoyment.

Small and Ornamental Trees

Smaller, decorative species may not be what first comes to mind when one thinks of trees, but there are several tree species that can do well in smaller yards or as part of more developed landscaping. Whether native or nativized, the trees on this list generally do not get bigger than about 25 feet and are a perfect choice when there is not a lot of room to spare. To see our previous list of top ten ornamental trees, visit this post.

Medium-Sized Trees

If you have a little more room, but don’t want to plant a full-size canopy tree, there are several medium-sized options that can provide more shade and structure than smaller trees while still staying manageable when mature.

  • Prairie (“Flameleaf”) Sumac
    • The prairie sumac is known for its brilliant red fall color and is a great native ornamental.
  • Pistache
  • Goldenrain Tree
    • Heat-, drought-, and poor soil tolerant, the goldenrain tree is not native to Texas, but can grow in a wide range of urban conditions.
  • Yaupon
    • Sometimes seen as manicured hedges, the yaupon can naturally grow into a single- or multi-stemmed tree.

Large Trees

When most people think of a tree, this is what they picture. Growing to several stories high with a large canopy, full-size trees provide the most shade and structure and, if properly cared for, can live for decades. Large trees need a lot of room to grow, and are perfect for open yards.

  • Pecan
    • The pecan is the state tree of Texas and thrives in our area. If you want to consume the nuts, be sure to keep an eye out for pecan phylloxera.
  • Oak
    • While live oaks and red oaks are the most common species in North Texas, varieties like the bur oak and chinkapin are easy to find and can do very well in urban environments.
  • Cedar elm
    • Cedar elm is the most common elm tree in Texas, and can be found all over the state. Cedar elms are known for their verticality and narrow canopy.
  • Tulip tree
    • While tulip trees are not as common in Texas as other magnolias, they are heat- and soli-tolerant as well as pest-resistant.

Trees to Avoid in North Texas

Not all species of tree are well-suited to our local environment. While some of the trees listed below were popular in the past, they are not recommended if you are looking for a new tree to plant.

  • Palm
    • Common in the southern and coastal parts of Texas, palms are not suited to North Texas soil or temperature swings.
  • River birch
    • The river birch is not drought-tolerant, and most urban areas do not have high enough soil moisture for river birches to thrive.
  • Bradford pear
    • The Bradford pear was once a very common landscape tree in North Texas, but many Bradford pears in the area are reaching the end of their 30-year life span, and starting to fail. Additionally, Bradford pears are prone to poor, overcrowded limb structure, which makes them more likely to split.

Whatever trees you choose, it is critical to plant at the right time and in the right way. The winter and early spring are the best times to plant, as the stress of summer heat can hit new trees hard. Proper watering is key to helping a newly-planted tree get established. Using mulch around the root zone is the best way to control soil moisture and temperature and provide organic material for soil health. In some cases, fertilization and soil amendments can be beneficial, but it is important to avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers that can stimulate unsustainable new growth.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our community! While we don’t sell or plant trees ourselves, our ISA Certified Arborists and ISA Board Certified Master Arborists are happy to provide consultations for tree selection, placement, planting and care, and even to accompany you to a nursery to find the best stock! Contact us today to find out more!

Topped crape myrtle with unstable rapid new growth at the stubs.

Why is Topping Crape Myrtles (and Other Trees) Bad?

by Texas Tree Surgeons Resources, Tree Trimming

In late winter and early spring, it is common to see crape myrtles in North Texas with all of their canopies and upper branches removed, leaving only standing trunks. Understandably called “topping,” as the top of the tree is removed, this practice leads to twiggy new growth from the ends of the trunks. A year later, the new growth is removed again, and the process repeats itself. While crape myrtles are the most common victims of topping, larger trees can be topped as well. Any trees that survive topping exhibit similar growth patterns of uneven, thin branches growing from larger trunks. The practice of topping trees often comes from an uninformed and misguided attempt to avoid limb breakage, stimulate new growth, and control the size and shape of trees, but topping trees is bad for the trees and causes more problems than it solves.

Why Do People Top Trees?

There are several reasons that people may want to top their crape myrtles or other trees:

  • Aesthetics
    • Some people want to reduce the size of a tree for visibility
  • Safety
    • It may be thought that removing all of a tree’s branches eliminates risk
  • Simplicity
    • It can be much easier just to remove the top of a tree entirely, rather than use proper pruning techniques
  • Habit
    • In communities where the practice is common, tree topping can become the accepted norm
  • Convenience
    • Without large, spreading limbs, trees do not drop as many leaves, flowers, or seeds
  • Turf grass
    • Removing a tree’s canopy greatly reduces the shadow of a tree that may affect turf growth
  • Growth Stimulation
    • It is a common misconception that topping a flowering tree causes increased bloom production

Whatever the motivation, however, tree topping is never the best method to achieve the desired outcome, and is actually counterproductive in most cases.

What are Alternatives to Topping Trees?

Depending on your goal, there are different proper pruning techniques that can help shape your trees.

Reducing size
  • Raising the canopy and removing upper or outer branches can go a long way toward reducing the overall size of a tree
    • While limb stubbing is not recommended, in certain cases, limbs can be trimmed back from the ends
  • Consider replacing oversized trees with species that are better suited to the location and don’t require drastic reshaping
Reducing risk
  • Removing all the branches of a tree is not the best way to reduce risk
    • Removing the canopy exposes the trunk to more light and heat, which can cause sunburn and sun scald, both of which can lead to decay and tree deathIn most cases, removing dead, dying, or broken limbs and thinning the canopy’s interior growth is sufficient to prepare the tree for high winds or severe storms
    • Consult an ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified Arborist for an evaluation of your trees’ specific needs
Simplifying maintenance
  • Topping a tree stimulates rapid, uneven growth which leads to more trimming
    • Natural, proper trimming allows a tree to stay balanced, and go longer without needing maintenance
    • Canopy cleaning reduces interior growth to help control excess leaf, flower, or seed drop
Light transmission
  • Proper thinning of a canopy can greatly increase the amount of light that reaches the ground while keeping a tree healthy
  • Consider planting shade-friendly understory plants and ground cover that can live in harmony with trees
Flower production
  • While it is true that trees such as crape myrtles flower on each year’s new growth, natural trimming allows branches to mature and develop more budding sites
    • Mature growth is hardier and less susceptible to sap-sucking insects like aphids, reducing the risk of common crape myrtle diseases

Don’t They Top Trees in Europe?

In some areas, mature topped trees with long, twiggy new growth are common. This practice is called pollarding. Pollarding is one of a few techniques that is used to produce specific sizes of wood for specific uses. Wood from pollarded trees is often used for firewood, basket weaving, and fence making. A related practice known as coppicing involves removing almost the entirety of a tree’s above-ground growth to create a small group of young stems. In these cases, the new growth is allowed to mature for a number of years until it reaches a desired size and can be harvested.

What is the Best Way to Trim a Crape Myrtle?

Whether you are looking for beautiful flowers, a particular canopy shape, or less maintenance effort, crape myrtles, just like all trees, can thrive with proper, natural pruning. While it may take some time to rehabilitate a crape myrtle or other tree that has been topped, even mature trees can be brought back to their natural beauty and health. Consult an ISA Certified Arborist for guidance on your trees’ specific needs.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees (even the topped ones!) and we love our community! While it may be common in North Texas to top crape myrtles each year, proper, natural trimming is the right choice in any situation. Contact us today to have one of our arborists take a look at your crape myrtles or other trees that may have been topped in the past so that we can help you bring them back to their natural beauty!