The 12 Best Heat-Tolerant Trees for DFW

North Texas is known for its scorching summers and blistering temperatures. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy having beautiful, thriving trees in your yard! While heat stress is a concern for many trees, several varieties are more tolerant to prolonged heat and drought. Understanding which trees are well-suited for Dallas/Fort Worth climates can set your tree up for success and allow you to get the most out of your investment. In this blog post, we’ve compiled 12 of the most heat-tolerant tree species native to North Texas that would be perfect for any landscape. Read on to learn more!

The Best Heat-Tolerant Trees for North Texas

Chinese Pistache

A long-living, hardy shade tree with spectacular fall foliage, the Chinese pistache tree is an excellent addition to smaller Dallas/Fort Worth landscapes. With outstanding heat, drought, and soil tolerance, this easy-to-care-for option will provide shade in areas receiving full sun. Additionally, Chinese pistache trees are exceptionally resistant to tree pests!

Crepe Myrtle

Crepe myrtle trees are one of the most popular trees to plant for residential and commercial landscapes in North Texas, and for good reasons! Crepe myrtles feature beautiful blooms in vibrant shades of pink, purple, red, and white, to name a few. They are extremely heat tolerant, and once established, they are quite resistant to drought. They require full sun and are an excellent choice for Argyle and Southlake homeowners.

Cedar Elm

Cedar elm trees are a hardy species often planted for shade in North Texas. It’s the only elm tree that produces flowers during the fall season, and once established, it is incredibly tolerant of heat and drought. Cedar elm trees thrive in full sunlight, making them a perfect option for shading your landscape and home.

Chinquapin Oak

This lesser-known oak tree species offers excellent shade and is tolerant of high temperatures and drought conditions. As another bonus, the Chinquapin oak tree is more resistant to oak wilt, a tree disease prevalent in North Texas, compared to other oak trees.

Bur Oak

The bur oak tree is a tough species that can adapt to harsh conditions. Both freeze and heat tolerant, the bur oak tree provides excellent shade and boasts high tolerance to air pollution and heat stress. Bur oak trees are also one of the most drought-resistant North American oaks. Due to its resilience, this type of tree can live up to 300 years!

Lacey Oak

Once established, Lacey oak trees are highly tolerant of heat, drought, and high pH or alkaline soils, making them ideal for Dallas/Fort Worth conditions. Native to Texas, this small to medium-sized deciduous tree is an excellent option for landscapes of all sizes.

Live Oak

A beloved North Texas staple known for its thick, sturdy trunk and elegantly twisted branches. Live oak trees are native to Central Texas and are well adapted to various regional soil types and heat conditions. Like most oak trees, the live oak can withstand drought and is an excellent option for shading North Texas homes.

Shumard Oak

One of the fastest-growing trees in Dallas/Fort Worth, the Shumard oak tree offers excellent adaptability to urban, suburban, and rural growing conditions. Once established, they are drought and heat tolerant.

Shantung Maple

If you’re looking for a heat-tolerant tree that is also beautiful, consider planting a Shantung maple tree. Shantung maple trees are hardy, heat-tolerant, and resistant to many tree pests and diseases. During the fall, leaves turn stunning shades of yellow, orange, and red. Providing great beauty with minimal care, Shantung maples are perfect for DFW homeowners.

Texas Buckeye 

The buckeye tree is a great choice for those who want a heat-tolerant tree that is also drought-tolerant. It can grow up to 50 feet tall and has stunning yellow flowers that bloom in the spring. It is relatively low maintenance and does well during heat waves. Texas buckeye trees thrive in Westlake, Flower Mound, and Argyle, and their smaller size makes them ideal for suburban landscapes.

Desert Willow

Desert willows are small deciduous trees featuring narrow, willowy leaves and beautiful flower clusters that bloom from spring to late fall. A fast-growing North Texas species that is easy to maintain, extremely drought and heat tolerant, and resistant to several tree diseases and pests, it makes the perfect ornamental tree for courtyards and patios. In arid regions, desert willows are also used to control erosion.

Bald Cypress

The bald cypress is a beautiful, bushy tree that thrives in warm, humid climates and full sun. Once established, bald cypress trees are extremely heat tolerant. They are somewhat drought tolerant, but they need consistent and proper tree watering to thrive.

TreeNewal

A variety of native tree species are perfect for providing shade and privacy or increasing your home’s curb appeal. While these heat-tolerant trees are known for their resilience, they still need routine maintenance and tree care to keep them in optimal health. Whether you need help deciding which tree works best for your property, tree care advice, or assistance with tree pruning, nutrition and fertilization, soil conditioning, or more, TreeNewal’s team of ISA Certified Arborists can help. Contact us today at (817) 592-6846 and enjoy industry-leading tree health services and an unmatched customer experience.

TreeNewal is a full-service sustainable tree care company offering residential and commercial tree services to Argyle, Dallas, Denton, Fort Worth, Flower Mound, Southlake, and Westlake. Contact us today at (817) 592-6846 and enjoy tailored tree health advice and tree care services.

We’re a little different than the average tree services company.

To learn more about The 12 Best Heat-Tolerant Trees for DFW, call our Argyle and Southlake-based teams

at (817) 592-6846 or send us a message.

We’re a little different than the average tree services company.

Learn more about TreeNewal’s ISA Certified Arborists!

Our Dallas/Fort Worth-based tree doctors can explain how sustainable tree care services add more value to your bottom line.

Healthy trees, healthy lives.