Soapberry
North Texas is not known for spectacular fall
color, unlike New England and some areas near the Rockies. That’s not because there are no colorful trees
here (there are several). It’s because the dominant trees exhibit little or no spectacular fall color, as you might expect from
when almost all of north Texas is in what’s biologically-called a “Post Oak Savannah”
Simply put; the sheer number of Post Oak trees
(and its relative Blackjack Oaks), overwhelm the trees here showing nice fall color.
Over the centuries this natural disparity has increased. Also, unspectacular trees
such as Live Oaks, Ashes and some imported, non-native trees have been widely planted.
I suggest, if you want really dramatic color,
you plant a “mass” of the same tree species (a “mass” is at least a dozen, planted
in a grove). Not only is it more visually striking; it seems to attract more birds
seeking protection within the branches.
·
The Soapberry is my personal favorite. This medium-sized tree
with an unfortunate name turns a bright yellow-orange in the fall. {see picture)
· Bald Cypress,
by itself can’t be called a spectacular tree. It’s an excellent
background tree, however, since it displays a rust-red color all winter long
(see picture below).
· Sweetgum is
a dramatic tree. The tall tree
transforms into a brilliant red {sometimes purple) in the fall.
· Bigtooth Maple
is a small tree that’s hard to find in nurseries, but worth the search. It turns into a striking red
each fall.
· Cedar Elm is
a fairly comm90n native tree. Many of them (but not all) turn a yellowish about
late October.
· Sumac is a
shrubby plant that’s best used when randomly interspersed among large, trees. It's red.
These are all native to Texas, but are usually
overwhelmed visually by our unspectacular oaks. In the ‘silver linings department‘ however,
and thanks to rampant land-clearing, we have an opportunity to create a patch
of vivid color anywhere we can plant a tree. By far the best time of year to plant
them is right now, so the roots can
grow all during a Texas winter.
OWEN YOST, in addition
to being a blogger, is a licensed Landscape Architect emeritus who has lived
and worked in north Texas for over 30 years. He is the recipient of a Lifetime
Achievement Award of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a member of the
American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), International Federation of
Landscape Architects, National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society. His
office is at Yost87@charter.net in Denton.
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Bald Cypress |