Tag magnolia

What’s Blooming in North Texas?

by Texas Tree Surgeons Events, Resources

As the weather warms up in the spring, we see trees begin to bud out in at different times. Most of our North Texas trees don’t have colorful blossoms in Spring, but there are a few notable exceptions.

Saucer/Tulip Magnolia

An impressive early spring bloomer is the saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangena) or closely-related tulip magnolia (Magnolia liliiflora).  Much smaller that the common southern magnolia, this tree grows to about four feet tall. While it shows green foliage through much of the year and may be overlooked, the highlights of the saucer or tulip magnolia are its namesake pink and purple blossoms that show in early spring before the new leaves open. These trees thrive in alkaline soils, like we have in much of the DFW area.

Purple Leaf Plum

The purple leaf plum is a non-fruiting tree with brilliant purple leaves that look beautiful summer long. In the spring, delicate pink flowers bloom on the branches, creating a dramatic scene before the new leaves begin pushing out. The purple leaf plum will have more flowers and darker purple leaves when planted in direct sunlight.

RedBud

Whether you have an Eastern redbud, Texas redbud, Mexican redbud, or another cultivar, you are likely seeing its pink or purple blossoms appearing. An early bloomer, the redbud’s blossoms are often the first herald of spring. Even after blossoming, however, the redbud’s heart-shaped leaves and attractive seed pods make it a stunner all year long.

Flowering Dogwood

Flowering dogwoods are understory trees that do best in the shade from larger species. Their white flowers in the spring and red berries in the fall are a common site in Southern gardens. Dogwoods can grow in the North Texas area but tend to do better in the sandier soils of East Texas. If you do have dogwoods, we recommend adding iron and other nutrients to the soil to help keep them healthy and blossoming.

Fruit Trees

There are few fruit trees that can thrive in North Texas due to the generally hot and dry climate and ill-suited soil conditions, but you will still see a few putting our blossoms in the spring. The more flowers a tree has, the more fruit it can produce, as the flowers are the starting point for fruit development. If you have a fruit tree, it may need special care, fertilization, and soil amendments.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our customers, and we are happy to see spring flowers starting to appear! If you are looking for recommendations of ornamental trees for color variety in the Spring or year-round, check out our previous posts for some suggestions! As always, if you have any questions about blossoming trees, ornamentals or anything else, let us know!

Can Christmas Trees Grow in North Texas?

by Texas Tree Surgeons Resources, Tree Recommendations

While Christmas tree farms are not a common sight around North Texas, and many traditional evergreen trees do not thrive in our urban forest, there are several native evergreen species that can be used to give your yard some year-round color. Additionally, we’ll mention some introduced species that are popular, but don’t always do well in our environment.

Native Texas Evergreens

  • Eastern Redcedar

The eastern redcedar is the closest thing we have to a native Christmas tree in North Texas. With many different cultivars and growing patterns, the eastern redcedar can be a large shrub with a conical shape or be allowed to grow into a larger shade tree. Hardy in a wide range of soils, the eastern redcedar can survive both our sweltering summers and freezing winters. Some people are allergic to eastern redcedar, so it is, unfortunately, not the best choice for every situation. But if you are looking for a live Christmas tree to adorn your yard, eastern redcedar is your best bet.

  • Nellie R. Stevens Holly

There are a wide variety of hollies that are native to Texas, but perhaps the most classically “holly-like” is the Nellie R. Stevens holly. This versatile shrub can grow to as much as 30 feet tall, or be regularly trimmed for a low hedge. The Nellie R. Stevens holly features deep green, glossy foliage and the female specimens produce bright red berries. If you want a winter classic that looks marvelous against snow (when we get snow), the Nellie R. Stevens holly is perfect. Plus, the branches, leaves, and berries can be harvested to make great additions to holiday decor.

  • Yaupon Holly

The yaupon holly doesn’t have quite the traditional holly features of other species, but still features green leaves and red berries. In North Texas, yaupons are more often seem as small ornamental trees, rather than in a hedge, as they have smaller leaves than other shrubs, and can sometimes appear uneven. Different varieties of yaupon have been bred for various landscape uses, including a visually-striking “weeping” cultivar. While the leaves and branches may not be as suitable for holiday decor, the leaves can be brewed into a strong tea that has nearly as much caffeine as coffee. Avoid eating the berries, however, which are mildly toxic.

  • Magnolia

Magnolias are not often thought of around Christmas, but these southern staples are some of the most common evergreens in the area. Magnolias can range in size from majestic, 40-foot-tall examples, with foliage draping the trunk all the way to the ground, to small cultivars that can be used as shrubs. While magnolias are generally well-suited to North Texas, to really thrive, some varieties need extra care. With their large leaves, magnolias can also cause quite a mess during leaf exchange. Still, it is hard to go wrong with magnolias, which is why they are a Texas classic.

Introduced Evergreens

  • Pines (Afghan/Eldarica, Austrian, Japanese)

While there are pine trees native to Texas, they are found in different ecoregions, and are not naturally features of our North Texas blackland prairie. Still, some pine species have been imported to the area, with varying success. Most pines prefer dry, sandy, or rocky soils over the denser, clay-heavy soil of North Texas. A lack of proper drainage can lead to moisture retention in the soil, which can cause some species of pine to develop fungal infestations. With proper monitoring, pines can be cultivated in North Texas, but they rarely thrive, and may be more suited to shrub or ornamental usage.

  • Italian Cypress and Junipers

Once a ubiquitous feature of North Texas landscaping, Italian cypresses and their cousins in the juniper family have developed many health issues in the past few years. Like pines, Italian cypresses are well-suited to sandy, rocky, dry soil, and need proper drainage. This makes them drought-tolerant, and ideal for their Mediterranean home, but also leads to high susceptibility to fungal issues. With high rainfall, cypresses and junipers can develop fungal cankers and brown out quickly. Because of the presence of the responsible fungi in the natural environment, treatment is often ineffective. If you have Italian cypresses or similar species, and have been noticing a decline, it may be time to consider replacing them with evergreens better-suited to our environment.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees (evergreen or not) and we love our customers! There are other native Texas trees that are evergreen, such as the Texas mountain laurel and our local favorite live oak, but we thought these would be a good place to start if you are looking for some winter color as a gift or want some landscaping ideas. As always, we are happy to have one of our certified arborists discuss which evergreen would be best-suited for your particular needs. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with those or any other questions you may have, and we hope this holiday season and the year to come are filled with joy for you and your loved ones!

The Tornado Took All the Leaves Off My Tree; What Can I Do About It?

by Texas Tree Surgeons Extreme Weather, Resources

After a devastating weather event like the tornadoes on October 20, 2019, the damage can be hard to assess, let alone start to repair. While damage to homes and other structures is of utmost importance to the community, addressing the damage to our urban forest, and determining what can be saved, is a key component of recovering after destruction.

Cleaning up downed trees is the first priority in an emergency situation. Fallen trees can prevent first responders and repair crews from accessing damaged utility lines and dangerous structures. Once the trees on the ground have been addressed, however, we must think about those left standing. After a high-wind event like a tornado, the trees left standing often have severe limb breakage and defoliation, or loss of leaves. Both of these issues have short- and long-term consequences, that must be understood.

Tree Safety Is Key

As soon as possible after a storm, owners of damaged trees should take a few steps to ensure there is no further damage to people or property:

  • Clear the area around any damaged trees of vehicles and valuables and take steps to prevent access to the area.
    • If possible, cordon off the entire dripline area (from the trunk to the tips of the branches).
    • If there is a tree that could fall on your home, consider staying out of that part of the house until the tree can be assessed.
  • Once the area has been secured, contact a certified arborist to assess the damage to your trees.
  • Trees that are stable, but have lost a great amount of the canopy will probably need fertilization or other plant health care measures to recover.

Will My Trees Survive Tornado Damage?

Ultimately, the prognosis for a storm-damaged tree depends on several factors, including the species, location, soil condition, and underlying health of the tree. Based on our experience, however, certain North Texas trees should fare better than others.

  • Live Oaks, Cedar Elms, Pecans, Bur Oaks – Uncertain/Wait and See

    • While these species are resilient, we are assessing them on a case-by-case basis.
    • If the tree is stable, we recommend waiting until the spring to see if new growth appears.

  • Red Oaks, Maples – High Risk for Sun Damage

    • Both types of trees are susceptible to sunburn, which dries out the bark, causing it to peel off,  and exposing the sapwood underneath to damage.
    • Even if the tree is stable, the risk of stress and dieback from the winter sun is great.
    • Maples and red oaks that have lost their leaves have little protection from sun exposure.

  • Crape Myrtles – High Chance of Survival

    • As long as the crape myrtles remained in the ground, they should survive.
    • Damage to limbs and safety pruning may alter the shape of the tree, but should not cause any major issues.
    • If increased insect activity is observed, consider using insecticidal soap in the winter or pesticides in the spring.

  • Mulberries – Uncertain/Wait and See

    • Mulberries are fairly hardy, and may survive, but may suffer from dangerous instability.
    • Once tree is stabilized, wait to reassess during the next growing season.

  • Hackberries – Uncertain

    • Have the root area examined by a certified arborist for signs of root rot or kretzschmaria.
    • Even if the tree appears undamaged, the hackberry’s tendency to develop root instability issues may make it a fall risk in the future.

  • Magnolias – Unlikely to Survive

    • Extensive defoliation will likely stress the tree past the point of survival, and prevent recovery from any damage.
      • As evergreens, magnolias depend on their leaves year-round.

  • Ornamentals – Likely to Survive/May Want to Replace

    • Smaller trees and ornamentals seem to fare better in high winds, as they are able to flex with the pressure.
      • One risk to smaller trees is being damaged by falling debris from larger trees or structures. If there is no physical damage, the tree is probably stable.
    • Many smaller ornamentals are understory trees, used to shade from larger species.
      • As with red oaks, risk of subsequent damage from sun exposure is high.
    • Even if the tree survives, it may not be as well-suited for its space after the damage, and owners may prefer to replace it.
      • Defoliation or wind damage may have irreparably altered the shape.

What Should I Do Now?

Whatever kind of tree you have, and however it has been damaged, contact a certified arborist to determine the best steps to take. We highly recommend fertilization for all trees impacted by storms, especially in our urban soils. If your trees are going to recover, they will need all the nutrients they can get. If your landscaping has been disturbed by the tornado, now might be a good time to adjust your mulching practices to help enrich the soil going forward. If you need guidance, we are always here to help.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our customers. We are shocked and saddened to see the widespread damage and devastation after the recent tornadoes, and our hearts go out to all those who have lost their homes. So much of our beautiful urban forest seems to have been uprooted or destroyed, and we want to do what we can to preserve what remains. We hope this overview has been helpful, and we are always available to come out to assess your specific trees for damage, stability issues, health issues, or to give you our recommendations for post-storm care. Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have.