The extreme hot and dry conditions in Texas do prevent some invasives from being as aggressive as they are in better areas. In my area (north Georgia), Mimosa has long been an invasive, especially on roadsides and vacant open land. It's rapid growth out-competes slower growing native species that might have grown there otherwise. Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is making great strides in new locations, increasing it's spread every year. Amazingly, our northern neighbor Tennessee, is more infested that we are with this pest. It stands shoulder to shoulder with the invasive bush honeysuckles that extend from where it is too shady for Tree of Heaven deep into the forest interior. I have seen "natural" areas in Tennessee that are just nothing but bush honeysuckle. Chinaberry is moving into the metro area of Atlanta from the southeast where it has been a pest for years. Spread has been accelerated by folks that bring some seeds from elsewhere because "one more won't harm". However, bringing a new invasive into an area where it wasn't is harmful so now I guess these can fight with Mimosa and Tree of Heaven for the roadsides. That is, if they can get in there in between the Chinese privet .... Princess Tree ( Paulownia tomentosa) is also a horrible plant and I've seen it on highways way up into the North Carolina mountains. It's small seeds are scattered by the wind mostly. But our newest invasive is courtesy of man (again). Ornamental pears (think 'Bradford' pear) are producing viable fruit and being spread by animals/birds. Sunny roadsides and vacant lots now have lots of these thorny seedlings - very obvious in spring when they bloom. And while I might appreciate the beauty of some of these plants, I can't help but consider how little they contribute to the natural environment which they have stomped on. Insects in our environments have not evolved with these plants and so get little nutritional value from them. Birds might eat some of their fruit/seeds, but birds heavily rely on insects as part of their diet (especially for their babies). Reduced native plant biomass in an area that is already reduced thanks to man's destruction of habitat means fewer insects for birds to consume. And that means fewer birds. So while I agree that man is the worst impact on the natural environment ... it is also man that has the brains and the power to make it better. I'm not saying that all non-native plants are awful, but these plants truly are. Their ability to spread themselves beyond your yard - even if you can personally see it, it is documented - makes them so. Plant a forsythia, a gardenia, a camellia, a crape myrtle, a hydrangea, daylilies, even knockout roses ... but don't keep these invasives going.

I have no experience with guava or starfruit, but citrus can perform surprisingly well in partial shade. I'm sure full sun is better (especially for getting a young tree established), but I have three citrus trees that get maybe three or four hours of direct sun at best. The rest of the day is dappled or deep shade, and I get more citrus than my family could ever eat from Thanksgiving until early January. I planted a Red Rhode Valencia in March in a partially-shady spot. It hasn't put out any vegetative flushes yet, but I hope the roots are growing good.

Candice The fruit you describe could be a Persimmon but their flowers are almost unnoticeable. What color is the flower? If your picture is digital (jpeg) you could open a free account on Photobucket and direct link it here. After you open the account just copy the direct link and paste it into your post. Here is the link to Photobucket http://photobucket.com/

Hi Pip I have 29 US897 root stock that I only need 10. I plan to ship some your way when the weather is safe for travel. How tall should they be. I will let them go semi dormant till spring when they reach that size. I have found a friend to do my grafting and I plan to start over the next few days.