I had to have all of my trees removed in one go. 5 hackberry trees that were completely hollow with rot, and one chinaberry tree. I definitely want to get trees back up here but understand I may have to wait until the winter but I'm using this time to research.
I know I want something native, something that can provide shade as well as shelter and a source of food for critters, and I would love something with leaf litter. I have considered pecan, mexican white oak, texas red oak, bur oak, and Mexican sycamore.
I live in a 9a hardiness zone and the soil map says I have HeiD3 soil. I live on the side of a massive slope so drainage is great, run off is high, and I want to focus on having a yard that can survive or even thrive without watering.
I would love to hear what your thoughts are. Am I over thinking this? (Likely)
by Better_In_PLastic
7 Comments
Whatever caused those trees to rot is likely still lurking in those stumps. I hope it does not carry and spread to any new trees you plant there. Maybe a blow torch? But fungus can hide underground too
By a “yard that can survive with minimal or no watering” do you mean a lawn?
What s fantastic blank slate. A large canvas. How about some fruit trees? Peaches, loquats, pomegranate, etc
This will give you time to figure out what’s killing your trees. I plus one the native idea when it’s time to re-cultivate.
Escarpment Black Cherry!
Here’s a big list in no particular order, of trees and large shrubs that are either native or well adapted:
Fall color: shantung maple, caddo maple, bigtooth maple, Chinese pistache.
Shade and leaf litter: oak varieties that are less susceptible to oak wilt such as chinkapin or burr (burr get huge eventually). i think cedar elm are boring and not all that attractive but i myself have a few and i like how hardy they are. I have many native red oaks but we have lost a couple over the years which I suspect is oak wilt; I’d avoid red oaks. I think sycamore are pretty but I have no experience growing them.
Shrubby stuff: Mexican buckeye (blooms like a redbud each spring), mountain laurel, wax Myrtle (I like ours and they stay well contained because of our rocky limestone soil , but in the right care wax Myrtle can spread a bit fast)
Dont plant anything too close to those power lines. The utility has complete authority to cut back any limbs near the lines and it’s so sad to see big trees get aggressively cut back when they encroach on the lines.
The maples I listed do great in our climate. Virtually all of the other maples do not. Don’t get itchy for fall color and plant other maples!!!