Trees
& Shrubs
* Deer Resistant
#
Not Native to Immediate Area
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Lib | RNC | Rate | Height | Description | Cultural Requirements / Comments | |
| * | Agarita | Berberis trifoliolata | X | s | 6' | Stiff spiny leaves, yellow spring blooms, red berries | Full sun, xeric, evergreen, fruits make good jelly | |
| American beautyberry | Callicarpa americana | X | X | f | 5' | Shade-loving shrub, megenta berry clusters on stems | Moist conditions, great for shady garden spots | |
| American elm | Ulmus americana | X | m | 80' | Large fountain-shaped tree with buttressed trunk | Prefers deep, well-drained moist sites, will become shallow rooted in thin soils | ||
| American smoketree | Cotinus obovatus | X | X | m | 5' | Feathery blooms, good autumn color | Does well with improved soil and moisture, choice specimen, use female for "smoke" | |
| * | American sycamore | Platanus occidentalis | f | 100' | Large leaves, pale mottled bark | Prefers moist sites with deep soil, need large area, use local stock | ||
| Anacacho orchid tree | Bauhinia congesta | X | m | 12' | Handsome bush, showy white flowers in spring | Well-drained soil, sun to part shade, may freeze back in winter | ||
| Arizona walnut | Juglans macrocarpa | X | m | 45' | Compound leaves, large nuts | Prefers moist sites with deep soil, wildlife relish nuts | ||
| Ashe juniper | Juniperus ashei | X | f | 25' | Evergreen conifer, "cedar" | Prefers xeric sites, great for use as windbreak or visual screen | ||
| Baldcypress | Taxodium distichum | X | m | 100' | Large deciduous conifer, cylindrical form | Tolerates poorly drained soil, avoid drought, needs large area | ||
| Bigtooth maple | Acer grandidentatum | X | m | 45' | Native sugar maple, orange to red fall color | Summer watering improves growth rate, only maple recommended for Hill Country | ||
| Blanco crab apple | Pyrus ioensis v texensis | X | X | m | 15' | Pinkish-white blooms, tart fruit, root sprouts | Prefers moist loamy soils, unusual specimen, a favorite browse for deer | |
| Bur oak | Quercus macrocarpa | X | m | 80' | Large stately tree, large violin-shaped leaves, huge acorns | Prefers deep well-drained soils, large taproot, will tolerate poor conditions | ||
| Buttonbush | Cephalanthus occidentalis | X | f | 6' | Rounded shrub, ball-like white flower clusters | Moist low-lying soil, fruits eaten by a variety of birds | ||
| Canyon mockorange | Philadelphus texensis v coryanus | X | X | m | 12' | Rare low growing shrub, white four-petaled flowers | Prefers moist shady areas, rare plant in the wild | |
| Carolina basswood | Tilia caroliniana | X | m | 75' | Mulberry-like leaves, white flower clusters | Prefers moist sites, loamy soils, little-used valuable shade tree | ||
| Carolina buckthorn | Rhamnus caroliniana | X | X | m | 25' | Small late deciduous tree, lustrous leaves, black fruit clusters | Shade and sun tolerant, choice specimen, preferred deer browse | |
| Cedar elm | Ulmus crassifolia | X | m | 50' | Columnar shape, bright green spring foliage | Tolerant of many soils, drought resistant, dependable shade tree for most situations | ||
| * # | Cenizo | Leucophyllum frutescens | X | X | m | 8' | Size depends on variety, silvery leaves, purple flowers | Sunny well-drained site, desert "barometer plant" foretells rain |
| Chinkapin oak | Quercus muhlenbergii | X | m | 50' | Globular form, toothed leaves | Prefers moist sites with deep loamy soils, outstanding shade and wildlife tree | ||
| Creek plum | Prunus rivularis | X | m | 6' | Thicket-forming shrub, white flowers early spring | Sun to part shade, good for erosion control on banks | ||
| # | Desert willow | Chilopsis linearis | X | X | f | 30' | Spreading shrub/small tree, pink or white tubular flowers | Adaptable to varied sites, native to West Texas and Rio Grande Valley |
| Dwarf palmetto | Sabal minor | X | m | 5' | Low growing palm, rarely has trunk | Needs moist area with rich soil, not drought tolerant, only Hill Country native palm | ||
| Eastern cottonwood | Populus deltoides | X | f | 100' | Broad leaves, fast growing large tree | Moist variable soils, intolerant of shade, quick shade, choose "cottonless" varieties | ||
| Escarpment black cherry | Prunus serotina v eximia | X | f | 60' | Showy white flowers in spring, yellow fall foliage | Moist soils, tolerant of some shade, specimen shade and wildlife tree | ||
| Evergreen sumac | Rhus virens | X | X | s | 6' | Delicate shiny leaves, fall-blooming, red berries into winter | Sunny well-drained site, drought tolerant once established | |
| Eve's necklace | Sophora affinis | X | f | 20' | Compound leaves, pale pink blooms, bead-like pods | Responds to good, well-drained soil, unusual and attractive ornamental | ||
| Flameleaf sumac | Rhus lanceolata | X | f | 20' | Open crowned shrub/small tree, brilliant red fall foliage | Dry areas with full sun, dependable fall color, root sprouts | ||
| Fragrant sumac | Rhus aromatica | m | 8' | Aromatic shrub, conspicuous flowers, red fall color | Sun to part shade, fruits eaten by many birds, smallest of Hill Country sumacs | |||
| Goldenball leadtree | Leucaena retusa | X | f | 20' | Bright yellow globular blooms, delicate foliage | Adaptable, responds to fertilizer and water, may bloom spring and fall | ||
| Gum bumelia | Bumelia lanuginosa | X | m | 40' | Shrub/small tree, branches sometimes thorn-tipped | Sunny well-drained areas, fruits used by birds and small mammals, root sprouts | ||
| Honey locust | Gleditsia triacanthos | X | f | 70' | White spring blooms, large pods, lacy foliage | Sunny sites, vulnerable to insects, select thornless varieties | ||
| Hop tree / Wafer ash | Ptelea trifoliata | X | X | m | 20' | Multi-trunked shrub/small tree, fragrant inconspicuous flowers | Shady areas, in citrus family, rarely browsed by deer | |
| Huisache | Acacia farnesiana | X | m | 30' | Spiny multi-trunked , yellow-gold fragrant globular blooms | Sunny well drained areas, can become invasive in southern range, thorns | ||
| Hummingbird bush | Anisacanthus quadrifidus | X | ||||||
| Kidneywood | Eysenhardtia texana | X | m | 12' | Multi-stemmed shrub, fragrant white flower spikes | Sun to partial shade, drought tolerant, responds to watering, preferred deer browse | ||
| Lacey oak | Quercus laceyi | X | s | 45' | Attractive blue-green foliage | Responds well to irrigation, slow growing but quality shade tree | ||
| Live oak | Quercus virginiana | X | m | 50' | Handsome semi-evergreen tree | Avoid spring pruning (oak wilt), Texas's number one shade tree | ||
| Quercus fusiformes | ||||||||
| Mesquite | Prosopis glandulosa | X | m | 40' | Thorny open-crowned tree, long bean pods | Tolerates a variety of sites, can become invasive, wood used for barbeque | ||
| Mexican buckeye | Ungnadia speciosa | X | X | f | 15' | Blooms resemble redbud, fruit large capsule | Adaptable to most sites and soils, good speciman plant, rarely browsed by deer | |
| Mexican plum | Prunus mexicana | X | m | 20' | Native plum with white blooms, edible fruit | Moist sites, some drought tolerance, attractive ornamental | ||
| Mexican redbud | Cercis canadensis v mexicana | X | m | 20' | Like Tx redbud except for densely hairy twigs and leaf stalks | Avoid site with afternoon sun and poor drainage, good understory tree | ||
| * | Mexican silktassel | Garrya ovata | X | X | m | 15' | Leathery evergreen leaves, purplish fruits into winter | Sunny site, do not over-water, can be mass planted for hedge |
| Mexican white oak | Quercus polymorpha | X | m | 60' | Semi-evergreen tree, leathery leaves | Sunny well-drained sites, evergreen in mild winters, sold as "Monterrey oak" | ||
| Osage orange | Maclura pomifera | X | m | 40' | Irregular crown, stout thorns, large inedible fruit, "horse apple" | Tolerates variety of sites, extremely hard durable wood, historically used for bows | ||
| Pecan | Carya illinoensis | X | m | 100' | Large compound leaves, nuts ripen in fall | Deep, moist well-drained soils, state tree, needs large area | ||
| Possumhaw | Ilex decidua | X | X | m | 8' | Dioecious shrub, red-orange berries on female plants | Sun to part shade, select females for berries, fruit persists into winter | |
| Red buckeye | Aesculus pavia | X | m | 5' | Multi-trunk, palmate leaves, showy red flower clusters in spring | Shade, well-drained soil, defoliates in summer, use in mixed plantings | ||
| Retama | Parkinsonia aculeata | X | m | 35' | Thorny, green-barked, drooping foliage, orangish flower clusters | Full sun, well-drained soils, leaflets defoliate during drought but rachis remains | ||
| Roemer's acacia | Acacia roemeriana | X | m | 12' | Multi-stemmed, round cream-colored flowers | Full sun, well-drained soils, catclaw thorns | ||
| Rough-leaf dogwood | Cornus drummondii | X | f | 20' | Thicket forming shrub, rough hairy leaves | Prefers moist soil, tolerates poor drainage, flowers not as showy as flowering dogwood | ||
| Rusty blackhaw | Viburnum rufidulum | X | X | m | 15' | Shrub/small tree, white flower clusters, blue-black fruit | Sun or part shade, bronzy fall foliage, unusual bark | |
| Shumard oak | Quercus shumardii | f | 100' | Large fast-growing red oak | Deep, moist well drained soils, requires additional water in western extent of range | |||
| Smooth sycamore | Platanus occidentalis v glabrata | X | f | 100' | Large tree, few if any secondary teeth on leaves | Deep, moist well-drained soils, needs large area, seeds in spiny ball-shaped capsules | ||
| Spicebush | Lindera benzoin | X | m | 15' | Multi-trunk large shrub, aromatic leaves, red fruit | Prefers rich, moist well-drained soils, protect from afternoon sun, good for shady areas | ||
| Sycamore-leaf snowbell | Styrax platanifolia | s | 12' | Uncommon creek-side shrub, white flowers in spring | Rich soil, moisture, afternoon shade, endemic to Edwards Plateau | |||
| Texas ash | Fraxinus texensis | X | f | 30' | Native ash resistant to insects and disease | Moist well-drained soils, attractive small shade tree | ||
| Texas buckeye | Aesculus arguta | m | 15' | Palmately compound leaf with 7-11 leaflets | Moist soils, understory shrub, fruits are poisonous | |||
| Texas madrone | Arbutus xalapensis | X | X | s | 30' | Leathery evergreen leaves, white blooms, red fruit, peeling bark | Avoid watering leaves, provide light sunscreen first 2 years, unusual beauty | |
| * | Texas mountain laurel | Sophora secudiflora | X | X | s | 12' | Evergreen shrub/small tree, showy purple fragrant flowers | Thrives in sun, poor soil, protect small plants from caterpillar damage |
| * | Texas persimmon | Diospyros texana | X | X | s | 10' | Dioecious shrub/small tree, smooth grey bark, black fruit | Adaptable to varied sites, handsome specimen when mature |
| Texas pistache | Pistacia texana | X | f | 30' | Large multi-stemmed shrub, shiny evergreen leaves | Xeric sites, disease free, drought hardy, ungainly unless trained when young | ||
| Texas red oak | Quercus buckleyi | X | m | 40' | Attractive autumn foliage | Needs good drainage, grows well with irrigation, avoid spring pruning (oak wilt) | ||
| Texas redbud | Cercis canadensis v texensis | X | X | m | 20' | Shiny leathery leaves, pink blooms in early spring | Well drained soils, avoid afternoon sun, good understory tree | |
| Texas walnut | Juglans microcarpa | X | m | 30' | Smaller cousin to Arizona walnut, smaller nuts | Prefers deep, well-drained soils, walnut for smaller areas | ||
| Toothache tree | Zanthoxylum hirsutum | X | m | 15' | Small prickly shrub, five leaflets | Xeric sites with good drainage, leaves numb mouth when chewed | ||
| Vasey shin oak | Quercus pungens v vaseyana | X | s | 25' | Semi-evergreen oak, silvery scaled bark | Responds to added water in well-drained soil, specimen tree for smaller spaces | ||
| Western soapberry | Sapindus drummondii | X | f | 30' | Pecan-like leaves, yellow in fall, amber fruit clusters | Tolerant of poor sites, easily transplanted, dependable medium-sized shade tree | ||
| White shin oak | Quercus sinuata v breviloba | X | m | 20' | Usually multi-stemmed small tree, flaking bark | Shrubby in poor thin soils, tree-like in deeper soils, good small tree | ||
| * | Yaupon | Ilex vomitoria | X | X | s | 25' | Evergreen shrub/small tree, red berries | Best in light shade, dwarfs suited for small hedge, poisonous fruit |
| Yellow buckeye | Aesculus pavia v flavescens | X | m | 5' | Like red buckeye with yellow flowers | Shade, well-drained soil, defoliates in summer, use in mixed plantings | ||
| * Deer Resistant | ||||||||