Selecting a Tree? Try this!

by Lydia Holley January 20, 2025

Which tree you choose for your landscape can be one of the most important decisions you make. In twenty years, it can either be a delight or a disaster. Size, shape, and soil conditions need to be determined before a specimen is placed into your yard. Many times, you can only squeeze a very small number of trees into your landscape, sometimes only one. So, how can you choose wisely?

Texas A&M has an online tree planting guide which takes out all the guesswork. (https://texastreeplanting.tamu.edu/index.html) The website is fun and easy to play around with as it has both an express tree selector and a custom tree selector. I recommend the custom selector as you can put in not only the size of the tree you want, but qualities which are important to you, such as being evergreen or having showy flowers.

Since Texas is such a large state, with varying climates and soils, it even gives recommendations specific to your county. You can rest assured these trees should thrive in our area. Best of all, though, is its ability to give you a number of options. For instance, opting for a small, Texas native tree to go in a limited planting area in Henderson County will yield 10 results. Also want fall color and showy flowers? You still have five to choose from.

No matter your specific planting requirements, the website has a number of trees to recommend. Need a large evergreen? The selector gives three options: Live Oak, Loblolly Pine, and Southern Magnolia. Fourteen trees are offered for shady conditions. You can also put in dry or wet conditions, alkaline or salty soils.

To ensure success with your new purchase, the website includes information on tree planting and care. Take a few minutes to choose your tree wisely. After all, you will live with your decision for a long time.

Texas A&M Forest Service, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, and Henderson County Master Gardener Association will be giving away tree seedlings on February 7. Go online and figure out which trees might be best for your landscape and then come to the giveaway. More information and a list of some of the available trees will be in next week’s article.

For more information, call 903-675-6130, email [email protected].