Fast Growing Trees?

[vwgto]

As I recall, if you are going to plant a Pear (and they do grow very fast), it is important to prune early-on to keep a solid central trunk. When you don't, they are very susceptible to splitting as they catch strong winds.

[Sampaguita]

Thanks for the suggestions and tips. I wanted to ask here since there are many homeowners who have probably experienced the aftermath of planting and watching their trees grow or perish.

Local nurseries aren't much help - I know more than they do (and that's not saying much) but I will say that I enjoyed my outing to Enchanted Garden and found them to be very informative.

[testmo]

maas in seabrook has a good selection and is an informative nursery as well

last year planted a mexican plum which is recommended for the area and is drought tolerant and loves being eaten up by the sun. pretty flowers. i have some fruits on the tree late last year when planted. some dropped most seemed to be eaten by birds. the fruits can also be made into jams and consumed by people. if it fruits well again i will try this out

my area there are lots texas redbuds. again they have pretty flowers coming out of winter. i didnt see those mentioned either

[Meyerland]

Small ornamental trees like vitex, loquat, redbud do very well in Houston.

[AshleyPeterson]

Nguyen- if you are not able to buy anything and expect to get special attention from someone that makes a living in sales, think again.

[Yn0hTnA]

Originally Posted by Sampaguita

We are ready to start setting roots down (hah) at our house and would like to start planting trees that will eventually provide shade in our backyard.

There are tons of lists out there supposedly specific to Houston but rather than research every tree, I was wondering if you could share what trees you have planted and that have done well over the years.

Would like to avoid oaks (we have enough of those in our front yard) and trees that drop berries.

Also, has anyone actually had luck with planting jacaranda trees? I saw it on a Houston specific list but am dubious that it would survive our winters.

Thanks!

Jacarandas are hardy to USDA zone (down to 20F range temps), and thus should do well in Houston, at least for decent amounts of time. This is especially the case if you are planting around the coastal areas, closer to Galveston; those areas of Houston can go years without dropping below 30F.

Queen palms are planted a lot in Houston, and have the same hardiness as the Jacaranda. Same goes for Bougainvillea flowers.

[MidCenturyMania]

If you want a fast growing, EVERGREEN (i.e. no raking leaves), low maintenance, beautiful tree that won't harm your foundation, you simply cannot beat a Japanese Blueberry. I am a landscape architect and have been using these for the last 10 years. All of my clients love theirs.

If you don't mind raking leaves, then there is no better bang for the buck than a Sycamore. The new variety called "Silverado Sycamore" has silver leaves. And perhaps the FASTEST growing tree you can get is a Eucalyptus. Some of the varieties with long strappy leaves grow TEN feet per YEAR!!

[Mandres]

Originally Posted by MidCenturyMania

If you want a fast growing, EVERGREEN (i.e. no raking leaves), low maintenance, beautiful tree that won't harm your foundation, you simply cannot beat a Japanese Blueberry. I am a landscape architect and have been using these for the last 10 years. All of my clients love theirs.

If you don't mind raking leaves, then there is no better bang for the buck than a Sycamore. The new variety called "Silverado Sycamore" has silver leaves. And perhaps the FASTEST growing tree you can get is a Eucalyptus. Some of the varieties with long strappy leaves grow TEN feet per YEAR!!

Good info, thanks! Do you have a website?

[Meyerland]

Water oaks are great too. Fairly fast growing and they stay evergreen except for one leaf shed in spring.