Welcome to our Plant Library! Dave and his staff share their years of experience trying out different plants, along with the maintenance know-how that comes from doing it all yourself. The photos and descriptions here will introduce you to some of the wonderful plant material we can enjoy here in North Texas. We hope you enjoy this handy resource.
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(Ilex decidua)
Similar in size and form to its evergreen cousin, the yaupon, possumhaw hollies are grown primarily for their winter show of bright orange-red berries which persist until early spring. Will grow in sun or light shade, although berries are most plentiful in full sun. Be sure you’re getting mostly female plants; a male is needed for pollination but will not set fruit.
(Koelreuteria paniculata)
A fast-growing tree that has a nice rounded form and lacy foliage casting light shade, golden rain tree is named for the large panicles of yellow flowers covering it in the fall. Flowers are followed by papery seed pods that look like little Chinese lanterns. A good choice for a smaller yard or a place where you want filtered light.
(Cornus florida)
It’s happier in regions with more acidic water and soil, but people love to plant this dogwood nonetheless. Horizontal layered branches hold out four-petaled white flowers in the spring before the leaves come out. Fall color is reliable reds and golds, and red berries add winter interest. Needs good bed prep (like an azalea), plenty of water and shade. A remnant population resides in Dogwood Canyon, an Audubon-managed retreat near the Cedar Hill escarpment which only opens for special spring viewings. (Note: C. drummondii, the roughleaf dogwood, does grow well here. It is shrubbier, suckers around a bit, and blooms with rounded white cyme after the leaves are out. Great for stream banks and natural areas; a bit scruffy for most city people.)
(Chilopsis linearis)
The desert willow is a beautiful small tree native to west Texas. It has long, thin leaves like a willow, and fragrant pink, lavender or white flowers at the ends of the branches all summer. Best planted in gravelly soil in raised beds here, with expanded shale or gravel mulch–it is used to less rainfall and will decline if it stays too wet. Perfect for low-water use landscapes where the irrigation can be fine-tuned. Prune often to shape trunks and encourage bloom.
(Arbutus unedo)
A native of Ireland and the Mediterranean that likes it here, oddly enough, the strawberry tree has something interesting for every season. Little urn-shaped flowers appear from October to December, maturing into 1″ knobby orangey-red fruits. Leathery dark green leaves resist drought and bugs, and the cinnamon-colored bark peels in beautiful layers. In Portugal they make a wine called medhronho out of the fruit. A lovely small tree, arbutus makes a handsome focal point in the garden.