Also, stay away from fruit trees like the plague. I used to have a fig tree, and my neighbor had a pear tree. Every time they fruited, I was treated to weeks of militant squirrls, blackened rotted fruit on the ground, and the most cloyingly disgusting decomposing fruit smells. Here is a pretty decent database that would seem relevant.
I bought a Bald Cypress last year and put it in the backyard of my new house. It looked pretty much like the tree from A Charlie Brown Christmas most of last year but this spring it's looking like it's going to turn out nice once it matures. It's about 11 feet tall. These mothers can grow over 70 feet. Very adaptable to many soil conditions. If you've been down to Minute Maid field they have some around the sidewalks there. Here are some pics (not my tree). I have two Live Oaks in the front yard that are also doing well.
I was also going to suggest a pecan....but they aren't always the prettiest of trees (though they can be). They also have brittle limbs, and the pecans will stain concrete. Still, in an older house stained concrete means nothing, and if you like to BBQ, there is NOTHING better than having a source of pecan wood.
We have a Bald Cypress also. Possibly our favorite tree. It can get large; nice conical shape. Pecan trees can get massive.
I figured the pecan tree was too big a tree for my purposes so I haven't been considering it. The bald cypress is pretty cool; I love the bark. I won't likely put a fruit tree in this spot, but I probably will put one or two small fruit trees in my back yard. Hopefully, my dog will be able to police them for squirrels. Thanks for the links Ottomaton and Mrs. JB. So, I'm getting the feeling that the general consensus is I should plant a tree that is too large for the space. Is this so? Is no one seriously concerned that it would have a great negative impact on the tree itself?
JV, did you ever decide on that tree? I've been looking at houses and found something that flowers beautifully. It's called a Jacaranda tree. Take a look. Info
They have these all over LA and are spectacular in the spring. Not sure how well they do w/ the freezes that Houston can have.
Wow! I'll look into it - although it looks like it might be too big. BTW - I was noticing that the Palm tree is rather large and doesn't spread and we live on Palm street. It isn't a shade tree so JV won't like it but I thought someone here might know if it's true that they harbor those nasty giant outdoor roaches.
I'm leaning towards a pair of Jacarandas at my new home. Tara also like Red Leaf Plums, but when she saw the Jacarandas, I think she may have dropped the idea of the red leaf. Living in the valley, the freezes are ususally non-existant. How bad does it freeze in Houston?
It got below freezing this year but there was no hard freeze (where it stays below freezing for several hours). Most years there are just a couple nights a year that there is a hard freeze.
Yes they do...and they are a pain to keep clean. They also can rot and when they rot at the top of the palm, it always looks like the cap will just fall off.
Nice thead. One of the downsides to living in Austin is the soil and climate really limit your tree choices compared to Houston. Some of these look really cool. Might make for a hard decision. Good luck!
On a related note, I used to live in Jacarandas Colony in Cuernavaca, Mexico. They had those trees down there all over.
Thanks for the suggestion; I'll add it to the list. I haven't chosen one yet because I was doing some research on my short list at the office when they gave me work to do. Can you believe it?!
About the Jacaranda, I noticed that I haven't really noticed it as a shade tree, but more as a flowering tree. The shade from this tree is actually pretty sparse I think. ...back to looking for trees for my house... Funny thing...I wa talking to my mom about the trees that she is going to put in her yard and she mentioned palms...I said "WHAT???" I told her what I told you guys and my dad said that there are some that don't need cleaning...I'm not sure which type he was talking about, but I'll try to look into it. Anybody have an evergreen flowering hedge...preferably without thorns. I had some japanese boxwoods (no flowers) in my 1st house, but they take WAY too long to grow. My parents bought some Pink Indian Hawthorns which complement their house nicely since she has touches of pink in their brick. I'm leaning towards the White Enchantress Indian Hawthorn...any body have any experience with these?
City of Houston was an urban forester who can give you suggestions. Also check in with trees for houston. Might be .org. Check. We have a White oak. Very large on very small yard. Nice.
Hey! We cannot plant acid-lovers (like Dogwoods ), but we have plenty of cool trees ( Live Oak, Texas Red Oak, Bald Cypress, Chinese Pistache, Mexican Plum, Crape Mrytle, Redbud, Cedar Elm, Lacey Oak, Bigtooth Maple to name a few good ones).
