Choosing Drought-Tolerant Trees for Dallas Landscapes

Date May 28, 2024

Category

Author TreeNewal Staff

Dallas experiences various weather conditions throughout the year, including rain, drought, heat, and cold. Therefore, selecting the appropriate plants and trees for landscaping is crucial to ensure their longevity and aesthetic appeal. To aid Dallas residents in choosing suitable trees for the challenging local weather, TreeNewal offers helpful tips and suggestions for drought-tolerant trees.

What Are Drought-Tolerant Trees?

Image via Unsplash by Thomas Park

Drought-tolerant trees can survive when rain or water is scarce. This doesn’t necessarily mean they can thrive without watering or irrigation; they can just endure drought conditions. Drought-tolerant trees have many ways of surviving, such as going dormant, having deeper roots, using water more efficiently, retaining water during rainy months, or retaining their leaves even in dry conditions.

Drought-Tolerant Trees for Dallas Landscapes

A wide variety of trees can thrive in the ever-changing Dallas weather. Property owners who are looking for smaller, more ornamental trees that typically don’t get larger than 25 feet can consider these options:

  • Texas mountain laurel
  • Desert willow
  • Redbud
  • Peach fruit tree
  • Purple-leaf plum tree
  • Mexican plum
  • Lacey oak

Many medium-sized trees can also thrive during drought conditions, including the following:

  • Prairie sumac
  • Texas pistache
  • Goldenrain
  • Yaupon

Nothing quite beats the impressive beauty of large trees as a part of a property’s landscape. Here are some large canopy trees that can provide shade for years to come:

  • Pecan
  • Shumard red oak
  • Chinquapin oak
  • Bigtooth maple
  • Southern magnolia
  • Cedar elm
  • Mexican sycamore

Trees To Avoid for Dallas Landscapes

Knowing which trees to avoid is just as important as knowing which can survive in the Dallas heat. Some trees may be unable to tolerate the high temperature or may not thrive in the specific environment of Northern Texas.

For example, we don’t recommend palm trees, river birch, and the Bradford pear tree. Palm trees are better suited for the southern and coastal parts of Texas where the temperature is more stable. River birch trees require a lot of water to thrive, which may not be feasible in this region. Bradford pears may be moderately drought tolerant, but they have a life span of only about 30 years and may have structural defects that can lead to sudden failure.

Other Factors To Consider

Drought tolerance is one of many things people must consider when choosing the trees they want to add to their landscaping. Here are some other consideration factors that can help with choosing the right trees:

Dallas has its fair share of challenging weather conditions, including drought, making it hard to find trees that will thrive for generations. Luckily, many ornamental and medium- and large-sized trees adapt well to the sometimes chaotic local weather. If you need help maintaining your trees after you plant them, give the experts at TreeNewal a call. Our team of ISA-certified arborists is here to help your landscape thrive, even in dry weather conditions.