Thanks so much everybody! I think I'm leaning towards a Mexican Plum now after reading the comments (but I'll look into the Anacacho orchid tree as well!) I do love Crepe Myrtles, but we already have two of them in our backyard, so I'm thinking I should mix it up a bit. It's important to me that the tree be attractive even when not in bloom, so Julia I'm glad you mentioned that the Mexican Plum might be superior in that regard.. Nearly all of the pictures I've seen both trees have been shots of them at their prime, covered in blossoms, so it was difficult to compare using google images alone. Definitely taking a trip down to the Rice Campus tomorrow to check the MP in person! :)

try www.growit.com to find who wholesaler nursery sells to in your area.

Thanks! This plan is being inspired by an issue similar to the "America Elm". The road used to be planted with Black Pine, which were very salt tolerant. An epidemic of bark beetles wiped them all out. Interestingly, I had been looking for salt tolerant evergreen replacements before, and never ran into the name pinus radiata. I'd be worried the bark beetles would take them out. Eastern White Pine is IMHO the prettiest pine and totally immune to the local diseases, but particularly vulnerable to salt. That's what the neighbors planted. Ended up using pitch pine, which is very salt tolerant, but still might have some beetle vulnerability. Also considered Atlas Cedar. There are a lot of wild Juniperus virginiana thriving on the sight. Euonymousis an invasive species here. I did consider sea buckthorn for erosion control on another spot. While it isn't considered invasive in my area, I'm told some are worried it will be. I'll have to look into Holly Oak...it should survive here. It's rated for my zone. Tupelo is a tree I really think is in theory perfect for the area. Very wind resistant, slightly salt resistant, beautiful fall color, not particularly susceptibility to local diseases. The catch is this is for my parent's property...I won't be there to water them. I can't find a cheap source of tupelo, and I hear it doesn't take well to transplanting. So my "plant a bunch and hope some survive neglect" strategy likely won't work for it. I'm waiting until I can get my parents more interested in the project to plant a couple tupelo in the "place of honor" where they can be seen from the house. At the moment, I'm looking for a row of cheap bare root things I can plant in a row along the road in front of the field. This part of the project is deciduous because I want to keep the Fall color of the area and not completely obstruct the neighbor's view.

Well, I went looking for signs of Q. velutina acorns ripening on some trees. Well, I was staring up into a tree a guy came up to me with sawdust all over him and said "hi". He was part of a crew that had from what he said just chopped down a large chestnut tree in the back of one of the homes by the road I was on. He told me that I was a month too early for the Red oak acorns, but, the squirrels were eating up the other nuts (chestnuts?) like crazy. I did see a Q. Alba with little green acorns on it. So I guess that's my answer. As far as the one pic on someone else's post here wanting an ID of their red oak ( I think a Q. Velutina) I don't know how to explain that one. I guess they had a already half formed Red oak family (Q. Velutina was my guess) acorn. The place I was at when the guy came up to my car, has tons of mature trees. Oaks, Chestnuts obviously, Maples. sycamores, Hickory, many others I am unfamiliar with some Walnuts, I don't know a black Walnut from any other Walnut. Pecans look like Walnuts to me as far as leaves. I would need my Field Guide to tell the difference. I didn't go to the place that I will be going to in mid to late September for a Q. Velutina acorn search. If they had been ripe I could've gotten them where I went today. I may look there first, (where I went today) in mid Sept. If I find any I'll offer some to anyone here who wants any. I have 2 Q. Velutinas. I have one that is close to a Q. Robur, and one that has enough room to grow to a nice wide spreading tree. I love the one that is in the open.