by Chris Winslow
With spring's arrival comes the sight of some of our flowering native trees blossoming out – the redbuds, the mountain laurels and the Mexican plums.
You can see them planted in landscapes as accent plants, and along the roadways growing wild. It is these wild trees that show us just how adaptable they are. Sometimes they are exposed to the full force of the sun and other times they form an understory, shaded from the sun by larger canopy trees.
When I was at my nursery (It's About Thyme), I was often asked about Eastern, Mexican, and Texan redbuds. What’s the difference?
The eastern redbud, which grows all over the hills of Austin, is the largest of the local redbuds. It can reach a height of more than 20 feet and has large, heart shaped leaves.
Its flowers are purplish-red, and they appear late February through the end of March, a great announcement that spring has arrived. Its leaves are dull (non-reflective) and tend to rust in the late summer heat. Many horticulturists believe the Eastern redbud is more suitable to the eastern part of the state where rainfall is more abundant and soil pH is more acidic.
Better for our region are the Texas and the Mexican redbuds.
The Texas redbud grows naturally west of the range of Eastern redbuds, in calcareous, well-drained (limestone) soils. It is more heat and drought tolerant, grows to a width and height of 15 feet, and has rose-purple flowers. Its waxy leaves are smaller than the eastern variety. It has a multi-trunk form which makes it an attractive landscape accent or specimen tree.
The Mexican redbud is a little smaller than the Texas redbud, with smaller, glossier wavy leaves. Mexican redbuds must be planted in a well-drained location. They are known for their extreme drought and heat tolerance. For hard, xeriscape plantings, this beautiful tree is the one for you.
My two other favorite native, spring flowering trees are the Texas mountain laurel and the Mexican plum.
The laurel is a large shrub, or small tree if you prefer. It has dark evergreen leaves and multiple trunks. Its flowers are dark purple with a sweet, grape Kool-Aid fragrance.
They require a well-drained site and can be grown successfully in a wide range of sunlight, from full sun exposure to shade. They are also drought and heat tolerant.
The Mexican plum can be seen along the roadside toward the end of February and early March. It is a small tree with black trunks and beautiful, strong scented white flowers. Mexican plums do best with a little afternoon shade, making this a good choice for an under-story tree. Happy Gardening Everyone! ❦
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