blakrab: Thanks for the tip on the Japanese Raisin Tree. That does look intriguing! From checking on a couple of websites, it appears to be drought tolerant and somewhat tolerant of alkalinity although it looks like it may stay a little smaller than I'd prefer. I lived in Japan for a number of years and didn't notice this one. I'll check into it further. gardener365: Thanks for the tips on the Montezuma Cypress and the Shantung Maple. I had been considering the Shantung "Fire Dragon" but wasn't sure if it might stay pretty small. If anyone has gotten some good growth out of these down here in the Austin/San Antonio area, I'd love to hear their successes. Aesthetically, I am not as crazy about the cypress as a tree for the yard, although I like them near water. scotjute: Yes, I am sure you are right that the soil conditions I have will limit the ultimate height of any tree that I plant. I hope to compensate as much as I can early on by top-dressing with compost the first few years. However the reality of a tree trying to grow into that limestone base underneath will kick in. That is a great idea about getting a native Pecan. I wonder if nurseries carry them? I haven't done a lot of searching yet, but they do all seem to be focused on carrying grafted varieties that are good at producing nice nuts. In my case, I really just like the look of a Pecan tree and don't really care what it produces just that it grow vigorously. Do you have any ideas where I can find a decent sized native Pecan down here? Burr Oaks sure do sound like nice trees but I am wanting to steer away from another Oak as I already have a Red Oak and several Live Oaks. It's too bad about those Bigtooth Maples being so finicky, I guess I don't really want to roll the dice and have one not do well. I am not as keen on the cedars although if I was going to get one, I suppose a nice stately Deodar would look good. There is a large grove of 15-20' tall Blue Atlas Cedars planted at the Bass Pro shop on I-10 just NW of San Antonio that look less than totally happy. I am guessing it is just too hot here in the summer for them to do well. Too bad though, since I love to plant one of them! dricha: I have seen Chinkapin Oaks and do like them too, I had not heard of Sierra Red Oak. Does it look or have growth habits that are greatly different than the standard Red Oak? Thanks for the heads up on Fanicks, they seem to be highly regarded. I'll head out there and have a look. lou_midlothian_tx : Thanks for the info on the cypress, they do seem to grow pretty rapidly. I've read some of your posts on growing Shantung and Bigtooth Maples. Your soil at your previous local looked pretty tough from your photos too. What are your thoughts on the ultimate size on the Shantung? I know your posts indicated that your trees were doing well, what sort of growth rates did you get? Mexican Sycamore and a native Pecan still look like pretty good bets for me based on what I am hearing and my preferences. You all please let me know if you have any other suggestions. Thanks!

We have oaks......I told you that the trees where important in Texas. Eventhough they are "evergreen"...they shed their leaves in spring and are still deciduous trees. Most of the quick growing trees I'm aware of all shed leaves. True Evergreens grow fast and do not drop leaves. Thuja trees grow fast, Blue Sapphire Cypress,...but shade on these trees is not that great unless you position them right. Eucalyptus Silver Dollar is a nice tree and grows fast, gives you shade and does not shed leaves....that might be the way to go...and your wife can take cuttings as they make a nice addition to flowers. I planted one in California. They grow fast upward and you have to start cutting the tops to make them spread out once you are getting the height you want.

That IS the problem with Texas! I lived in Weslaco for about 3 years and the summer sun was merciless. If the burr oak grows where you live, I think it would be a good bet for your shade needs ... preferable to pines. The key to getting faster growth is plentiful water. Even if you have no other irrigation, you could put the tree on its own system and get decent growth out of it. A second requirement is fertilizer. It won't grow fast if it is starved.

^ Just a note - Seven-Son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides) is a nonnative from China. I don't think it's invasive, and actually sounds like a nice import, but regardless...certainly does not fit the title of this thread. Just FYI for those who do want to focus on mostly native plants... -------------------------------------------------- 1980 introduction of seven-son flower, Heptacodium miconioides, from China. Heptacodium is shrubby plant belonging to the honeysuckle family native to at least two provinces in southern and south-central China. Like most members of the honeysuckle family, it grows as a multi-stemmed shrub with long branches that arch outward as the plant ages. Plants can reach 15 to 20 feet tall with a spread of 10 to 15 feet. As the plants age, the bark begins to peel (exfoliate), revealing a brownish to gray-white display. Heptacodium was first collected in China in 1907, but it was not introduced into cultivation in the West until 1980 after members of the Sino-American Botanical Expedition collected seeds in a southern Chinese botanical garden. This team was the first group of western botanists allowed in China since 1945 when the Communists defeated the Nationalists and Chairman Mao assumed control of the nation. The Arnold Arboretum made a general release of plants in 1987.