Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Monday - September 28, 2009
From: Houston, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Trees to hide telephone poles and wires
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
I am looking for trees to plant between my house and the street to hide telephone poles and wires. My top priority is to add strong, gold color in the fall. Spring flowers would be a plus. Because of the wires, I plan to trim the trees to keep an oval shape and maintain their height at approximately 50 feet. I also need to provide clearance from the wires to prevent future hacking by the telephone company. Will tulip poplars or thornless honeylocust survive in my area and with annual trimming?ANSWER:
Both Gleditsia triacanthos (honeylocust) and Liriodendron tulipifera (tuliptree) grow in Harris County and both tolerate pruning.Here are several other choices that have yellow fall foliage for the Houston area:
Chionanthus virginicus (white fringetree) with white flowers in the spring and yellow leaves in the fall. Here are more photos and information.
Ulmus americana (American elm) with yellow fall foliage and here is more information.
Ostrya virginiana (hophornbeam) with yellow fall foliage and here is more information.
Quercus phellos (willow oak) with yellow fall leaves. Here is more information.
You can see more possibilities in our Texas-East Recommended list—use the NARROW YOUR SEARCH option and select 'Tree' from General Appearance. The Texas Forest Service has the Texas Tree Planting Guide with more choices and the Houston Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas has a PDF file of Information Pages that give lists of native plants recommended for the Houston area.
You might also like to read our article, "How to Prune a Tree."
More Trees Questions
Need suggestions for plants for bioswales in Philadelphia, PA
August 24, 2015 - Hello,
Are there a handful of species you would recommend for inclusion in bioswales throughout the US? I realize plants need to be selected based on climate, but I'm wondering if there are two or...
view the full question and answer
Replacement trees for southwest facing backyard in Austin, TX.
September 23, 2010 - The back of the house we are purchasing faces southwest and is completely devoid of large shade trees. I have been told that the previously existing trees were destroyed by oak wilt. I am in love wi...
view the full question and answer
Native trees that will thrive in Amarillo, TX
April 04, 2010 - I need help in finding native Texas trees that will do well in Amarillo's low water and extreme temps.
view the full question and answer
Drought-Tolerant Trees for South-Central Texas
February 09, 2010 - I would like to replace two Golden Rain Trees with native ornamentals. They should be highly drought tolerant and should not exceed 25 feet in height. They will need to be tough since they will get ...
view the full question and answer
Laurel oak tree not leafing out in Pasadena TX
April 13, 2010 - Hurricane Ike blew down our red bud in the backyard. Had a large 25' laurel oak planted early March 2010. When it was put in the ground, the leaves were on it, but they were all brown and dried. T...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |