All posts by Texas Tree Surgeons

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our customers, and we hate to see a beautiful crape myrtle topped and turned into a twiggy mess. Even if a crape myrtle has been topped for many years, it can be restored through a simple care program. Proper trimming, combined with allowing new growth to mature, can go a long way toward repairing the damage caused by topping. Fertilization can also help with encouraging healthy growth. Ask a certified arborist to evaluate and make recommendations for your specific trees.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our customers! If you’re new to the area, or just haven’t noticed before, seeing otherwise healthy live oaks turn brown and drop their leaves in the Spring can be a cause for concern, but don’t worry! Live oak leaf exchange in the Spring is part of the healthy life cycle of the trees, and is a sign that your live oaks are ready for new growth as the weather warms up. As always, if you have any questions about live oaks or any other trees, let us know!

Taking care of our urban forest is a complicated task. While tree care companies like Texas Tree Surgeons and individual homeowners are responsible for caring for most trees, communities and municipalities play an essential role in establishing the guidelines that ensure all urban trees have a chance to thrive. One member of a municipal tree care team is the city arborist. In Dallas, the city arborists are tasked with enforcing the city’s tree protection ordinances and investigating any violations. Additionally, the city arborists consult with residents, architects, and builders on the best ways of preserving existing trees, public and private, during construction. Jessie Farris, one of the District Arborists in Dallas, was kind enough to answer a few questions that homeowners often have.

What is the city of Dallas doing to protect our trees?

The
Article X Landscaping and Tree Preservation Regulations were amended in June 2018, as the Article X Landscape and Urban Forest Conservation Regulations. These regulations further protect and conserve our trees from illegal or unjustified removals. The City is currently working to increase and enhance our canopy cover through the creations of an Urban Master Plan and a Comprehensive Environmental & Climate Action Plan. Additionally, the District Arborists work hard to investigate illegal tree removals and educate the community on responsible tree stewardship.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree at my house?

You do not need a permit to remove trees from single family/duplex uses on properties under 2 acres.

What about my commercial property?

Protected tree removals off of commercial properties require either a Tree Removal Permit or Building Permit and are subject to mitigation
.

What about trees between the sidewalk and street?

Trees in the parkway are on city property and may not be removed without approval by the city arborist. The adjacent property owner is responsible for the maintenance and care of all trees and other vegetation on their premises (including the parkway and to the center of the alley). Trees must maintain a minimum 8-feet clearance over sidewalks, and a minimum of 15-feet over streets and alleys. Trees and vegetation should keep clear of visibility triangles (2.5 feet to 8’ minimum above the curb) at street and alley corners and driveways.

Does a demolition permit allow me to remove trees?

No. Protected tree removal is allowed only with a tree removal permit or as indicated and approved by the city arborist on a building permit.

Who do I call if I see someone removing a tree and I don’t think they should?

Contact 311 or Contact your District Arborist.

Can I stop my neighbor from taking down their tree?

Trees can be removed by the homeowner from single family/duplex uses on properties under 2 acres. If the tree is considered a “boundary” or “shared tree” it should only be removed after consultation with the neighboring owner. In some cases, you may wish to speak with your insurance company, personal legal counsel, or an independent certified arborist before taking action. The City of Dallas does not enforce on civil cases between separate property owners.

What do I do if a tree falls in the street?

Contact 311 or Public Works at 214-670-4491. If it is a life safety emergency, call 911.

What should I do if I think a city tree is a hazard?

Contact your District Arborist, 311, or Public Works at 214-670-4491. If it is a life safety emergency, call 911.

Who can I contact for tree issues in creeks and streams?

Contact 311 or Dallas Water Utilities at 214-670-0161. If it is a life safety emergency, call 911

Jessie Farris developed a passion for conservation and native plants at Texas Christian University before graduating with her Bachelors in 2017. She worked as the Supervisor of Horticulture at the Shangri La Botanical Research and Nature Center before joining the City of Dallas as the Northwest District Arborist in August of 2018. When she’s not in the field or meeting with clients, Jessie’s focus is on community outreach and developing training materials for the City. As the Education & Training Coordinator for the Arborist Department, Jessie creates educational resources for the Dallas community focusing on landscape sustainability. She also serves as the Secretary for the Trinity Blacklands Urban Forestry Council and will graduate with her Masters in Sustainable Natural Resource Management in May.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our customers, and we hope those of you in Dallas have found the above information helpful! We always want to do what we can to keep our communities informed and involved. For more Dallas-specific resources, consult the Landscape and Tree Manual. We hope to add information about other North Texas tree regulations soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions about who to contact to find out what the rules in your area are, let us know!

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

• 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.

• 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!

Tree trimming or tree pruning in Texas is generally best when done after temperatures cool off in the fall and before buds begin to grow in the spring. Removal of dead, broken, or damaged limbs can be done anytime. The worst time to trim a tree is in the spring just after it has budded out. The tree will already have used its energy to start new growth, and will not be able to recover from the trimming as well or as quickly. At Texas Tree Surgeons, tree trimming is the most common service we provide, and is essential to maintaining health and safety in our urban forest.

Why is it best to trim trees in the fall and winter?

Trimming trees at the right time is crucial to keeping them healthy. During the fall, the tree’s internal systems begin to slow, as it prepares to go dormant (similar to hibernation in animals). Entering a dormant state helps the tree survive the winter cold, frost, and ice. As the weather cools, the water in tree tissue begins to be converted to starch, which insulates cellular tissue against freezing damage. During this period of dormancy, trees are able to heal the wounds made from pruning before the stressors of spring, like disease and insects, arrive.

Proper trimming is not just a matter of timing, however, but also of technique. Trimming your trees at the proper time in the fall or winter cannot compensate for the damage done through over-trimming, lion-tailing, or topping. Even though a dormant tree can better withstand these damaging types of trimming, the overall health of the tree may be irreparably harmed.

Why is it important to use a company with certified arborists to trim your tree?

Every tree is different. Two trees of the same species planted next to each other may still react differently to their surroundings. Having an ISA Certified Arborist examine your trees before trimming is crucial to ensuring proper care. In a yard with different tree species, there may be a range of trimming needs. A certified arborist can assess each individual tree to make the best recommendations for trimming, taking into account species, environment, disease or pest activity, and the tree’s natural life cycle. Improper trimming at the wrong time of year can cause a tree’s health to decline substantially. A certified arborist’s knowledge of tree biology and trimming best practices leads to the best trimming recommendations for your trees.

Is there a best time to trim a particular species of tree?

While it is generally best for all trees to be trimmed in the fall and winter, it is important to be aware of issues particular to a given species.

Oaks:

• The best time to trim oak trees in Texas is in the fall and winter.
  • It is critical to avoid trimming during oak wilt season (February-July) if at all possible.
  • Live oaks typically do a leaf exchange in late winter so it is better to trim them in late fall or early winter.
• Dead and broken branches can be removed at any time.

Maples:

• The best time to trim maples is fall and winter.
  • Pruning in the early spring can lead to sap leaking from the pruning cuts.
  • Maple trees are one of the few trees that have fall color in Texas so pruning after the leaf drop is usually preferred.

Elms:

• Elms are hardy and native to Texas. They are typically the first to get their leaves and the first to lose their leaves.
  Trimming elms in the fall and in the winter is best to avoid sap leaking.
• Elms are prone to rotting where large pruning cuts are made or poor puts are made so conservative trimming is best.
• In the parts of North America where Dutch elm disease is present, elms should be trimmed before March.

Crape Myrtles:

• Crepe Myrtles produce flowers on each year’s new growth.
  • Trimming in the fall leads to more blossoms in the spring.
  • Trimming in the late spring will reduce the number of flowers the following year.
• For the health of the crape myrtle, the best time to trim is winter.
  • Topping crape myrtles is never a good practice.

Bradford Pears:

• Bradford pears can be safely trimmed at any time.
• Proper structural pruning when needed is very important for Bradford pears because their natural growth patterns often lead to weakness at branch joints.

Fruit Trees:

• Structural pruning for fruit trees should be done in the winter.
• Trimming for fruit production should be done just after bloom in early spring.

At Texas Tree Surgeons, we love trees and we love our customers. In the winter, it can be easy to forget about our trees, as their leaves are gone and we spend less time outside. However, remembering that winter is the best time to trim trees can lead to healthier, more beautiful trees in the summer. We are always happy to come out and assess your trees for their particular trimming needs. When tree trimming must be done out of season, we are able to make sure that best practices are followed to minimize any negative effects. One of our certified arborists can make personalized recommendations based on your trees. Get in touch today!