10 Best Trees to Grow in Texas

Are you trying to find beautiful trees for your Texas home or property? Thankfully, there are many beautiful trees that thrive in this large and temperate state. No matter what kind of trees you enjoy, there should be at least one or more that falls within your interest and taste.

The following 10 trees are the most fun and enjoyable to grow in Texas and provide a beautiful look, fantastic soil protection, and much more. We’ll include as much detail about each tree as possible to ensure that you feel comfortable growing any of them on your property.

Anacua

The Anacua is a well-known tree grown throughout most of Central Texas, the Rio Grande Valley, and the Gulf Coast. It thrives in areas as diverse as San Antonio and Houston and is also prominent throughout much of the south of the state. It flowers with small, white, and fragrant blooms.

The Anacua also includes attractive yellow and orange-red berries that should thrive throughout mid-summer and fall. It grows to about 50 feet with a dense two-foot trunk and a circular branch bloom.

  • Scientific name: Ehretia anacua
  • Plant Type: Semi-evergreen
  • Plant Size: Up to 50 feet
  • Sun Exposure: Light-sun/part shade
  • Bloom Time: Late fall to early spring
  • USDA Plant Zone: 9B

Ash, Prickly

A tree with large knobs on the trunk and branches, the Prickly Ash is a handsome and hardy tree that grows to about 30 feet or so. It often comes from multiple stems and sheds its leaves in the late fall and early winter. Prickly Ash grows best in East and Central Texas along the Colorado River.

Its leaves include a compound appearance with four paired leaves on each stem with a single leaf at the tip. The small flowers cluster at about 4-5 inches with a green color, while the tree produces one-sided capsules in the early summer.

  • Scientific name: Zanthoxylum clava-herculis
  • Plant Type: Deciduous
  • Plant Size: Up to 30 feet high
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Bloom Time: Early spring after the leaves emerge
  • USDA Plant Zone: 3-7

Blackgum

The blackgum thrives in East Texas and grows best in well-drained soils. However, it also does well growing alongside oaks in dryer conditions, depending on its general hardiness. It provides an attractive flower in late spring and a hard-shelled seed on multiple stalks.

The blackgum has a very tough wood that is hard to work and easily warped. However, its flowing branches and color-changing leaves make them very appealing for Texas homes.

  • Scientific name: Nyssa sylvatica
  • Plant Type: Decidious
  • Plant Size: Over 100 feet
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
  • Bloom Time: Late spring
  • USDA Plant Zone: 7A

Boxwood

Boxwoods thrive in East Texas forests and woodlands and thrive when taken out from larger trees and given full sun. As a landscaping tree, they’re often easy to pair with other trees and produce gorgeous dark-green leaves that turn to shades of red and purple in the fall.

Their gray-to-black bark and strong wood pair well with the bright red drupes that develop in the early fall and provide food for hungry animals. When paired next to a home, it can provide excellent shade and wind protection.

  • Scientific name: Cornus florida
  • Plant Type: Deciduous
  • Plant Size: Up to 35 feet tall
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Bloom Time: Late fall
  • USDA Plant Zone: 5-9

Cedro Blanco

The cedro blanco thrives in the Chisos mountains in Bed Bend National Park and is great for well-drained, desert areas throughout Texas. They’re commonly found in Austin due to their attractive blue or gray foliage and handsome compact design.

They do produce small cones that may litter your yard, so be prepared to pick them up in the fall. However, the attractive smooth and red-grown bark contrasts beautifully with the leaves to produce a very attractive tree.

  • Scientific name: Cupressus arizonica ssp. arizonica
  • Plant Type: Evergreen
  • Plant Size: Up to 90 feet tall
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Bloom Time: Spring
  • USDA Plant Zone: 6B and 7A

Chapote

As a semi-evergreen tree, the chapote will provide green almost all-year round for your home. Typically growing in a multi-trunk style, it opens up to an oval crown that includes large trunks and branches peppered with simple leafs and white five-petaled flowers.

The multi-trunk style makes them useful for erosion protection because the multiple trunks create an extensive root system. They’re also easy to take care of and usually require minimal maintenance.

  • Scientific name: Diospyros texana
  • Plant Type: Semi-evergreen
  • Plant Size: Up to 40 feet
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to full shade
  • Bloom Time: Early spring
  • USDA Plant Zone: 4-7

Chastetree, Lilac

The chastetree lilac is an attractive shrub that comes with a multi-trunk growth and a beautiful crown that flowers in white or lavender colors. These flowers appear early in the season but can last several months before temperature changes affect them.

It typically requires heavy sun and needs well-drained soil of any texture. This lilac can tolerate heat very well and typically grows fleshy fruits that last throughout the winter.

  • Scientific name: Vitex agnus-castus
  • Plant Type: Deciduous
  • Plant Size: Up to 15 feet tall
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
  • Bloom Time: Late spring and summer
  • USDA Plant Zone: 3-7

Douglas-Fir, Rocky Mountain

This popular tree grows throughout the western United States and is common throughout West Texas in the Guadalupe and Chisos regions. While it typically thrives above 6,000 feet, it should do well in any soil that’s well-drained and provides room for its branches.

While it can grow to incredible heights in some areas, it is typically shorter than its max of 250-feet throughout Texas. Its needles come on a rather narrow branch and it typically blooms about halfway up the branch, making it useful as a shade tree.

  • Scientific name: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca
  • Plant Type: Evergreen
  • Plant Size: Up to 80 feet
  • Sun Exposure: Partial to full sun
  • Bloom Time: Late spring to mid-summer
  • USDA Plant Zone: 4-6

Elm, American

The elm is one of the most popular trees in America and thrives well in Texas soils. It has alternating 4-6-inch leaves that are about 2-3 inches wide. Their oval shape is well known, as is their attractive broad shape that produces an attractive overall appearance.

The elm grows best in East and Central Texas and is popular on well-drained soils near streams, rivers, ponds, and lakes. The elm is a perfect shade tree due to its height and creates beautiful colors as winter falls.

  • Scientific name: Ulmus americana
  • Plant Type: Deciduous
  • Plant Size: Up to 90 feet tall
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Bloom Time: Late spring to summer
  • USDA Plant Zone: 3-5

Hickory, Bitternut

The bitternut hickory is a large decidous tree that grows well throughout East Texas in rich soils, often along streams and river bottoms. They typically have a deep-green color in the spring and summer that turns into a sulfur yellow as fall and winter kill off the leaves.

It is important to take good care of this tree with regular trimming and to watch its height. When planted in a yard, it can overwhelm it by growing over 100 feet tall and casting shade over a large area. Note that it also drops a four-winged seed that will spread through your yard in the spring.

  • Scientific name: Carya cordiformis
  • Plant Type: Deciduous
  • Plant Size: Over 100 feet tall
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
  • Bloom Time: Spring
  • USDA Plant Zone: 4-9