Cindy Mahoney, Waller County Master Gardener
With Fall just around the corner, most people enjoy the different colored leaves that some trees have. The following trees not only have beautiful leaves in the fall, but they are great for our area as well.
Drummond Red Maple/San Felipe Maple
This Maple is the same tree but has different names and is known for vibrant fall color and fast growth. As a native to southeastern Texas and the southern to mid-Atlantic U.S. area, it is adaptable to a variety of soil conditions, especially wet areas. This maple can grow from 40 to 80 feet tall with a spread of 20 to 40 feet wide. The typical ‘maple’ leaves are hand shaped with 3 or 5 spreading lobes. It can produce small clusters of red flowers in late winter and early spring right before new leaves form. This maple has light to dark gray bark which starts out smooth when the tree is young and becomes scalier as it ages. This tree prefers full sun and makes an excellent shade tree.
Shantung Maple
The Shantung Maple tree is an ornamental shade tree that is native to China. Designated as a Texas SuperStar®, this maple variety has passed rigorous testing against a wide range of Texas climates. It provides spectacular red and orange fall foliage and tolerates heat and drought well. It is a more compact maple, only growing up to 20 or 30 feet tall with a canopy around 15 to 25 feet across. Although compact, it provides good shade thanks to its dense, rounded crown. The bark is smooth at first and becomes more rigid as the tree matures. In the spring, small yellow flowers emerge, which later release distinctive winged seeds called samaras. Shantung Maples thrive in full sun and are adaptable to a variety of soils. It prefers moist, well-draining soil, but will tolerate some drought once it is established. It is known for being extremely heat tolerant, making it a great maple choice for our hot Texas climate.
Mexican Sycamore
The Mexican Sycamore tree is a large and fast-growing shade tree. It is a relative of the American Sycamore but is more drought tolerant. At full maturity, it can reach up to 60-80 feet in height with a spread of 40-50 feet across its canopy. The leaves grow very large, up to 8 inches across with green on top and a silvery, fuzzy underside which adds interesting color and texture to landscapes. This deciduous tree loses its leaves during winter but can also lose patches of bark, showing a creamy white and green which gives a mottled appearance during winter which is why it was nicknamed the “ghost tree.” Mexican Sycamore trees are especially resistant to diseases and insect pests. The seeds are spherical balls approximately 1.5 inches across, which break open in winter to release their seeds into the wind.
Eastern Redbud
The Eastern Redbud tree is a show stopper in spring that is compact enough to fit in most landscapes. Known as the harbinger of spring, it puts on one of the season’s most dramatic displays of bright pink to magenta flower clusters along its bare stems in early spring which last up to a month before leaves start to appear. Its dark green heart shaped leaves turn yellow in the fall. Eastern Redbud trees grow fast when they are young, up to 2 feet per year, and then their growth rate slows as they reach maturity around 20-30 feet tall. The typically shorter trunk may grow as a single or multiple prong arrangement. Eastern Redbud trees thrive in full sun to partial shade, but blooms the best in full sun. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators while deer rarely browse them.
If you are interested in these particular trees or other trees and shrubs, you can currently place your order online at txmg.org/wallermg through October 5 at 5 p.m. Pick up will be at the Community Christian Academy at 1016 6th Street in Hempstead on October 25th from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. If you cannot be there for the delivery date, check with a friend who might be able to pick your items up for you. (Note: The Prime Ark Blackberry, Mexican White Oak, and Texas Lilac Vitex have been sold out.)