West Texas is a high desert clime of subfreezing winters and raging summers . At elevation between 3,000 and 4,500 foot , only 12 inches of rain occurs every year , most in midsummer . This region , which include quotation like Amarillo , Lubbock , Odessa and El Paso begs for tough , long-lived tree to provide shade and shelter from winds .

Large Trees

If you seek large refinement tree , those growing taller than 40 understructure in matured height , several choice subsist . Rustic landscapes would n’t seem accomplished without an oak . Try chinkapin oak ( Quercus muehlenbergia ) or the live oak tree ( Quercus virginiana ) sans the drooping Spanish moss . Anaqua ( Ehretia anacua ) and Taiwanese parasol ( Firmiana simplex ) make sound choice , but fast - growing shade get from the Arizona ash ( Fraxinus velutina ) , sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraciflua ) and fruitless mulberry ( Morus alba ) .

Small Trees

tree that recede their leaf in wintertime and age to heights at or less than 40 feet work well in the typical shell of residential and farm buildings . Texas red oak ( Quercus texana ) may get larger , but without irrigation and pampering remains diminished . Other choices include mesquit ( Prosopis glandulosa ) , manzanilla olive ( Olea manzanilla ) , Mexican persimmon ( Diospyros texana ) , westerly soapberry ( Sapindus drommondii ) and nutleaf sugarberry ( Celtis reticulata ) . Excellent red fall foliage display happen on the Chinese pistachio nut ( Pistacia chinensis ) .

Flowering Ornamental Trees

Consider adding minuscule Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that not only shade and make an intimate garden haven , choose some that provide seasonal floral beauty as well . Fragrant white blossoms occur on the Mexican plum ( Prunus mexicana ) while Texas mount laurel ( Sophora secundiflora ) remains evergreen with fragrant flower . Wispy leafage and cheerful chickenhearted flowers beautify Jerusalem thorn ( Parkinsonia aculeata ) in late spring . extra trees include desert willow ( Chilopsis linearis ) and the panicle gold raintree ( Koelreuteria paniculata ) . Chaste tree diagram ( Vitex agnus - castus ) bears summertime imperial - puritanical flower for butterflies and bee . see callery pears ( Pyrus calleryana ) but avoid mixture ' Bradford ' since it incline to snap and disgorge arm when only 15 to 20 yr older .

Edible or decorative fruits linger on crab Malus pumila ( Malus spp . ) , peaches ( Prunus persica ) , and possomhaw ( Ilex decidua ) , the former two bearing noticeable decorative blossoms . Most people want thornless Osage orange ( Maclura pomifera ) , and its tumid rotund fruits are either think of as decorative or messy lawn litter .

Conifer Evergreens

phonograph needle or weighing machine - foliage Tree that give rise cones provide yr -round screening , shade or cylinder block winds . Aleppo pine ( genus Pinus halepensis ) does n’t develop near as large as the ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa ) . The mountain cedar ( Juniperus ashei ) and Arizona cypress ( Cupressus arizonica ) make excellent hedge or screen .

Palms

In the more southern reaches of West Texas , dally in the tropical alien look by implant palms in clustering or singularly as a focal specimen . Canary Island date decoration ( Phoenix canariensis ) and the genuine date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera ) grow , but do n’t expect fruits if the summertime heat does n’t last long . Mexican fan medallion ( Washingtonia filifera ) bears persistent dead fronds in a beige , juiceless half-slip while the California fan palm ( Washingtonia robusta ) grows improbable and be given to be less unfearing to winter cold .

References

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