Meet the 34 Tree Species of Park Cities

11 min readJul 12, 2022

Trees play a critical role in the lives of Park Cities residents.

They populate our parks, shade our streets, beautify our neighborhoods and help reduce energy costs. But how much do most of us really know about these miracles of nature?

As a show of gratitude and appreciation for all their stoic work over the decades, in this article, we will meet the front-line protectors and beauticians of Park Cities, its trees.

Quick Facts About Texas
Coniferous vs Deciduous Trees
Leaf Types
The Trees of University Park
The Trees of Highland Park
Highland Parks’ Famous Pecan Tree

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Quick Facts About Texas

The word “Texas” was the Spanish pronunciation of “Tejas” from the Hasinai Indian word meaning “allies” or “friends.”

State tree: pecan (adopted in 1919)
State flower: bluebonnet (adopted in 1901)
State bird: mockingbird (adopted in 1927)
State insect: monarch butterfly (adopted in 1995)

Coniferous vs Deciduous Trees

Every single one of the thousands of tree species found on our planet fits into one of two categories: coniferous trees or deciduous trees.

Coniferous trees: are evergreen trees, keeping their leaves all year round. No matter the season, evergreen trees are unchanging in appearance.
Deciduous trees: are trees that lose their leaves at the end of their growing season (the word ‘deciduous’ literally means “to fall off at maturity”).

Leaf Types

There are three different types of leaves that evergreen and deciduous trees can have:

Broadleaves: a wide term that encompasses leaves of all shapes and sizes — so long as they are flat. Almost all deciduous trees have broad leaves.
Needle leaves: many evergreen trees feature this shape. Need leaves are long and thin, and can grow in clusters or sparsely, depending on the tree species
Scale-like leaves: the third category of leaves that some coniferous trees exhibit is scale-like leaves. We see these on trees such as Juniper trees and cedar trees, where the needles resemble the scales of a reptile.

The Trees of University Park

As per town regulations, the following 10 species constitute the official tree species of UP, and only these can be planted in township parkways:

Power lines: trees marked with a (*) are recommended for planting under power lines, as their mature height is estimated at less than 25 feet (i.e., Crape Myrtle, Yaupon Holly)

Bald Cypress

Bald cypress is a long-lived, pyramidal conifer (cone-bearing tree) which grows 100–120 feet tall. It is one of the longest living trees in the world.
The bald cypress is easily grown in average, medium to wet, moisture-retentive but reasonably well-drained soils in full sun to part shade.

Bur Oak

Bur oak is a large drought resistant, long-lived and reasonably fast-grower for an oak. The tree has strong branches, drought tolerance, winter hardiness, and freedom from serious insects or diseases.
Used as a shade tree in a large yard, parks, library or other open areas where it has room to grow, it prefers rich bottomland but is tolerant of poor soil conditions if given full sun conditions.

Cedar Elm

Cedar Elm is a large semi-evergreen tree with luscious green foliage that changes to yellow in the fall, and is said to be the most common tree in Texas
It is a lovely tree that provides nice shade, but it is also very hardy in adverse conditions — tolerating both drought and wet soil.

Chinese Pistachio

Tough as nails, drought tolerant, easy to transplant, and pest free are all terms used to describe the Chinese Pistache.
This beautiful, medium-sized tree is perfect for both the home landscape and the urban environment. At maturity, this tree will achieve a height of 40 feet and a spread of 25 to 35 feet.

Chinqapin Oak

As this species matures, it becomes a magnificent specimen and a conversation piece and is considered a worthy choice for larger lawns, estates, or parks.
The Chinqapin Oak grows 40'-50' high with a similar spread under landscaping conditions, becoming 70'-80' high in the wild, and does best in well-drained soil.

Crape Myrtle

The common crape myrtle is a deciduous, small to medium sized shrub or small tree with a variable, moderately dense habit, often multi-stemmed form (deciduous trees lose their leaves at the end of their growing season)
The common crape myrtle grows to a height of 15–25' and a spread of 6–15' at maturity, and the lower branches are often thinned to show off the trunk form and color

Mexican White Oak

This tree is well suited for residential landscapes, and is especially popular in Texas. The tree can be a `show stopper’ when it is in bloom.
Mexican Plum should be grown in full sun or partial shade on well-drained, rich soil but will tolerate almost any soil. It is quite drought-tolerant once established.

Live Oak

This magnificent, broadleaf evergreen tree is a picturesque addition to any landscape.
It grows rapidly when young, adapts to almost any soil and may live to be centuries old. At maturity, it can reach 40'-80' feet, with an 80' spread.

Red Oak

Shumard Oak is a large tree in the red oak group in the beech family.
It has a pyramidal shape when young and a more open rounded crown at maturity. The trees can reach 70 feet in height and 40 feet wide. It is tolerant of urban conditions like drought, dry soil, and air pollution.

Yaupon Holly

Yaupon is an evergreen shrub or small tree native to the eastern USA. It can reach 10 to 20 feet tall, sometimes as tall as 30 feet, and 8–12 feet wide.
The Yaupon Holly makes a good screen, windbreak, or security plant, grows rapidly, and transplants easily (flowers appear in spring)

The Trees of Highland Park

As per township regulations, the 24 tree species listed below are the only trees that shall be planted on any public land within Highland Park.

Any person desiring to plant a tree or shrub in any public place within the Town other than the approved trees needs to submit their request in writing to the Tree Advisory Committee for consideration.

HP shares the following tree species in common with UP: Crape myrtle; Bald cypress; Bur oak; Cedar elm; Chinese pistachio; Live oak; Red Oak

Redbud

When not in bloom, a redbud is merely a solid, pleasant addition to your garden landscape, but in spring, its glorious pink blossoms will stop you in your tracks and take your breath away.
If planting multiple redbuds, it’s important to be aware that they can reach 30 feet in height with a similar spread, need adequate space (25–35 feet between trees), and should not be planted to close to building structures

Hawthorn

Related to the rose family, hawthorns (Crataegus) are generally multi-stemmed, thorny deciduous trees
Hawthorns grow 18 to 35 feet tall and up to 30 feet wide, and most need pruning to thin out bushy, multiple stems and to keep the tree smaller in size overall.

Flowering dogwood

You can identify a dogwood by looking for smooth-edged leaves with veins that curve parallel to the margins (edges).
Dogwoods are frequently used as flowering specimen shrubs and trees in the landscape.

Gum Elastic

S. lanuginosa, variously known as gum elastic, chittamwood, shittamwood, and false buckthorn, is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental.
These plants typically have gummy or milky sap and extremely hard wood.

Mesquite

Mesquite trees are short, thorny shrub-like trees with feathery leaves, white or yellow flowers, and seed pods containing peas.
In many states like TX & CA, mesquite trees can be a nuisance for landowners. The tough shrubby trees have extensive root systems that can stretch for up to 200 ft. (60 m), absorbing water and preventing other plants from growing near them.

Golden raintree

The golden raintree (Koelreuteria paniculata) is a lovely shade tree for backyards and gardens
It is a medium-sized ornamental that is one of the few trees to flower in midsummer in the United States. The tree’s tiny canary-yellow flowers grow in showy panicles that can get 12 inches long.

Cado Maple

Caddo Sugar Maple will grow to be about 50 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 40 feet. It has a high canopy with a typical clearance of 7 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines.
As it matures, the lower branches of this tree can be strategically removed to create a high enough canopy to support unobstructed human traffic underneath. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live to a ripe old age of 100 years or more

Slash Pine

There are many types of pine trees, but the slash pine is the most common one sold for home landscapes.
The shade these trees provide is more open than a dense, broad canopied tree like a live oak, so nearby plants can get enough light yet with a bit of protection, too

Big tooth maple

Big tooth maple is a beautiful upright to spreading tree to 50 feet with yellow to golden fall color
Homeowners looking to plan Big Tooth Maple should remember that it is slow growing when young and the foliage can sometimes burn on the tips in extreme summers

River Birch

As its name suggests, the river birch naturally grows along riverbanks. But as a landscape tree, it can be planted almost anywhere in the U.S. The river birch has not yet reached the popularity of many maples and oaks, but it is well on its way.
The species is valued for its relatively rapid growth, tolerance of wetness and some drought, unique curling bark, spreading limbs, and relative resistance to birch borer.

Western Soap Berry

Western Soapberry is particularly well-suited to urban conditions, tolerating wind, drought, and infertile soils with ease. It transplants easily and establishes with only minimal irrigation.
The close-grained, strong wood makes this tree very resistant to wind damage.

Chinese Elm

Chinese elm is a deciduous shade tree in the Ulmaceae (elm) family native to China, Korea, and Japan.
It is a tough, durable tree that grows quickly to 40 to 60 feet tall. Unfortunately, it has very low wind resistance and has the potential to be weedy through self-seeding in surrounding landscapes.

Austrian Pine

Homeowners should be aware that this pine has some serious drawbacks for many regions of the country.
For example, it is extremely susceptible to the tip blight fungus Sphaeropsis (Diplodia) — and a variety of other disease and pest problems. Before planting an Austrian pine, consult your local Park Service to learn how well it grows in your region.

Calleryanna Pear

At one time Callery pear was one of the most popular urban tree species in eastern, central and southern regions of the country. Today, while the tree has its admirers, city planners are thinking twice before including it into the urban landscape.
This tree has a tendency to form dense thickets pushing out other native species that can’t compete for resources such as water, soil, space and sun. This is good news for the survivability of Callery pear, but not such great news for native plants.

Pecan Tree (official tree of Texas)

Planting a pecan sapling is like making a commitment to the future.
When mature, the Pecan Tree may soar up to 100 feet and provide a harvest that can be measured in the buckets-worth. Pecan trees will do all this without a great deal of nurturing or care — making it a good choice for beginning gardeners.

Highland Parks’ Famous Pecan Tree

Prior to being cut down for health reasons in 2019, this famous pecan tree (see photo above) was located for more than 150 years on Armstrong Parkway near Preston Road.
Unfortunately, in 2019, the Township had to make the difficult decision to remove this tree for health reasons
But its not all bad news, since it turns out that someone had previously planted part of this pecan tree directly next to it. That sister tree has been growing and will now become the new pecan tree in the area.