I stay in Texas, Which of these trees are the best for our frontyard?

Question

Bald Cypress,Chinese Pistache,Red Oak or Live Oak...Our Builder is giving us 3 in frontyard. Is it okay if we choose two diff kind or will it look odd.I really appreciate your help in selecting one of these.

Answer 1

Wow, are these your only choices?  They are all good but also very different.

The bald cypress and live oak can become HUGE trees.  The cypress will need added water during dry, hot weather.

The live oak is a scraggly tree at first but becomes a beautiful tree in a few hundred years.  

Pistache and red aok are nice, too but to me rather nondescript.

Imagine your trees 20 years from now...so think about the tree's growth habits, its maintenance, your soil conditions...

I would have a bald cypress and a live oak spread far apart, or three live oaks spread far apart to let the canopies grow into one another, but that would be long after I'm gone.

Answer 2

I'd pick the Chinese pistachio, beautiful red/orange autumn tree, beautiful shaped small tree, Yard trained - doesn't get into your pipes.  Is drought tolerant when established and  because it is deciduous, lets in winter sun.  also has beautiful pink/blue berries, sorry don't see many berries Galahs and Rosellas (I'm in Australia) eat them so bird attracting as well.  I certainly wouldn't call it non descript.  

Answer 3

I would go with Live Oak and Red Oak.  Both do well in your soil (black gumbo is what I call it).  The Live Oak will give you green in the winter and with a little iron added around the Red Oak it will have great yellow and red leaves in the fall.

Answer 4

I'd skip on the Bald Cypress, after it gets older, root k***s will form above ground making it a hassle to mow...  The Red and Live Oaks will be the best long term tree but with different looks, the red oak will give you Fall color but leaves to rake up in the Winter/Spring, the live oak will be green year round.

For a contrast tree the Chinese Pistache will have brilliant colors in the Fall

Here is a couple of pics of a neighbor's red oak in Dec and again in Feb...the Feb, the leaves are brown and dead (bad lighting due to the weather)

http://www.arrow-pestcontrol.com/oddpics...

I'm in Desoto, 20-25 miles South of you.

Answer 5

your question is too broad.  Texas is a big place with many different types of soils.  If you're in the south texas sand, that's one thing.  if you're in the east texas clay, that's another.  and both are completely different than norfth texas black soil.  Look around at the trees that are already growing well in your area.  when you pass an open field of trees, what's growing there?  try texas A & M's http://texastreeplanting.tamu.edu/Custom...

and if what's best for your area isn't any of the three he's offering, ask him to get what will work, not what his brother the nurseryman has too many of.  you'll never be happy with an unhappy tree. :)

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Richardson....i'd go with any oak over the cypress or pistache.  Oaks are slow to grow hardwoods that live forever, are highly resistant to disease, and thrive in this climate.  i'm not a big fan of either of the oaks he mentions.  in my opinion they look too scraggly, rather than the "majestic" oak you think of.  Your decision will have alot to do with how big the yard is, how tall you want the tree to be, and omg can you believe it, some neighborhoods actually tell you what trees you can and cannot plant!!!  one last thing, just because he will provide three trees doesn't mean you NEED three.  that website is an excellent resource that makes you think about what you really want :)

Answer 6

My Grandma lived out on the edge of Azle, that's pretty close to you. She had Mimosa trees in her front yard, pretty flowers and the scent travels around you all day. I go for that myself