The climate in this area is classified as Koppen type Cfa (the letters respectively indicate: C = average temperature of the coldest month is between 27 degrees F. and 65 degrees F.; f = sufficient precipitation each month; a = average temperature of warmest month is above 72 degrees F.).

The hardiness zone is 8-b and the site is only about 60 miles north of the border of zone 8 and 9. Annual rainfall is about 46 inches. 

The soils include Keltys fine sandy loam, Kurth fine sandy loam, and Alazan very fine sandy loam. These soil types provide an excellent range of available water capacity in the upper 5 feet of depth (ranging from 6.16″ in the Keltys to 8.27″ in the Kurth to 9.78″ in the Alazan) and vary from moderately well drained (Keltys and Kurth) to somewhat poorly drained (Alazan).

 

 

 

 

 

 

  CONIFERS SUITABLE FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS

A.  “EASY”

Calocedrus formosana (Taiwan Incense Cedar) - ok so far (4 years); no problems with Cercospora so far (unlike Calocedrus decurrens)

Calocedrus macrolepis (Chinese Incense Cedar) – ok so far (2 years); no problem with Cercospora so far (unlike C. decurrens)           

Cedrus brevifolia (Cypress Cedar) – ok so far (10 years)

Cedrus deodora (Deodar Cedar) – ok so far (11 years); rapid grower

Cephalotaxus fortunei (Fortune Plum Yew) – ok so far (10 years)

Cephalotaxus harringtonia ‘Fastigiata’ (Japanese Plum Yew)– ok so far (10 years)

Cephalotaxus sinensis (Chinese Plum Yew) – ok so far (9 years)

Chamaecyparis obtusa (Hinoki Cypress) – a southern Japanese False Cypress; Beautiful!

Chamaecyparis pisifera (Sawara Cypress) – a southern Japanese False Cypress; Beautiful!

Chamaecyparis thyoides (White Cypress) – weak tree that breaks in strong winds; not drought resilient

Cryptomeria japonica ‘Ben Franklin’ (Japanese Cedar) – our best Cryptomeria (beautiful tree)

Cunninghamia konishii (Taiwan Cunninghamia) – 50% survival; C. lanceolata probably superior

Cunninghamia lanceolata (China Fir) – a beautiful prickly tree that does very well here

Cunninghamia unicaniculata (Chinese Fir) – ok so far (3 years)

Cupressus abramsiana (Santa Cruz Cypress) – small indigenous area near Santa Cruz CA; fire endangered

Cupressus assamica (Indian Cypress) – ok so far (11 years); exact classification is confused

Cupressus atlantica (Moroccan Cypress) – heat challenged

Cupressus chengiana (Cheng Cypress) – doing well; beautiful!        

 Cupressus forbesii (Tecate Cypress) – ok so far (6 years)

Cupressus funebris (Chinese Weeping Cypress) – possibly the best adapted cypress for east Texas

Cupressus glabra (Smooth Cypress) – needlecast problems; getting by

Cupressus sempervirens (Italian Cypress) – some have needlecast

Cycas revoluta (Sago Palm) – problems with winter burn; the only common cycad in this area

Dioon edule ‘Angustifolia’ (Virgin Palm) – a new cycad; doing well

Glyptostrobus pensilis (Chinese Swamp Cypress) – plant this at water’s edge

Juniperus asheii (Ashe Juniper) – doing very well; indigenous west of here

Juniperus deppeana (Alligator Juniper) – ok so far (10 years)

Juniperus flaccida (Mexican Weeping Juniper) – ok so far (10 years)

Juniperus foetidissima (Stinking Juniper) – ok so far (9 years)

Juniperus monosperma (One-Seed Juniper) – ok so far (2 years)

 Juniperus occidentalis (Western Juniper) – ok so far (11 years)

Juniperus osteosperma (Utah Juniper) – ok so far (7 years)

 

Juniperus oxycedrus (Prickly Juniper) – ok so far (9 years)

Juniperus pinchotii (Pinchot Juniper) – ok so far (11 years)

Juniperus procumbens ‘Green Mound’ (Bonin Isles Juniper)

Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’ (Bonin Isles Juniper)

Juniperus scopulorum (Rocky Mountain Juniper)– ok so far (9 years)

Juniperus silicola (Southern Red Cedar) – indigenous east of here; doing very well

Juniperus virginiana (Eastern Red Cedar) – indigenous in this area

Keteeleria evelyniana (Evelyn Keteeleria) – from Southwest China; well adapted to east Texas

Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Dawn Redwood) – from mid-west China; well adapted here

Pinus attenuata (Knobcone Pine) – so far so good (11 years) 

Pinus brutia var. stankewiczii (Crimian Pine) – ok so far (5 years)

Pinus densiflora (Japanese Red Pine) – ok so far (7 years)

Pinus echinata (Shortleaf Pine) – an indigenous pine species in this area

Pinus elliotii (Slash Pine) – ok so far (4 years)                    

Pinus engelmannii (Apache Pine) – our one (very) successful western yellow pine (others die from Mycosphaerella needlecast)

Pinus glabra (Spruce Pine) – indigenous east of here; a fine tree in east Texas

Pinus greggii (Gregg’s Pine) – one of the few Mexican natives that are doing well here, some late mortality due to pitch canker

Pinus koraiensis (Korean Pine) – ok so far (7 years)

Pinus massoniana (Chinese Red Pine) – ok so far (7 years); a lovely Pine from southcentral China

Pinus nigra (Austrian Pine) – ok so far (9 years)

Pinus palustris (Longleaf Pine) – an indigenous pine species in this area; susceptible to strong winds

Pinus pinea (Stone Pine) – the umbrella pine from the Mediterranean area; an excellent tree here

Pinus pungens (Table Mountain Pine) – ok so far (10 years)

Pinus rigida (Pitch Pine) – ok so far (9 years)

Pinus serotina (Pond Pine) – ok so far (11 years)

Pinus strobiformis (Southwestern White Pine) – early mortality but the survivors are doing well

Pinus strobus (Eastern White Pine) – ok so far (11 years);  doing surprisingly well in east Texas but having a more compact habit and shorter needles than in its native area

Pinus tabuliformis (Chinese Red Pine) – ok so far (11 years)

Pinus taeda (Loblolly Pine) – a native species in this area

Pinus taiwanensis (Taiwan Black Pine) – ok so far (10 years)

Pinus thunbergii (Japanese Black Pine) – ok so far (6 years)

Pinus virginiana (Virginia Pine) – ok so far (11 years)

Pinus wallichiana (Himalayan White Pine) – ok so far (11 years); we are suspicious of the true identity of some of these (shorter needles than typical wallichiana)

Platycladus orientalis (Biota) – ok so far (6 years); beautiful tree!

Podocarpus macrophyllus (Yew Pine) – the best adapted Podocarp for east Texas

Podocarpus totara (Totara) –a dwarf bush in east Texas (a magnificent giant in New Zealand)

Sequoia sempervirens (Coastal Redwood) – does well in the perfect site (not too wet, not too dry); ‘Soquel’ may prove superior to other cultivars

Taiwania cryptomerioides (Taiwania) – ok so far (11 years); beautiful! (Be sure to water them)

Taiwania flousiana (Coffin Tree) – ok so far (11 years); same as T. cryptomerioides which we like slightly more

Taxodium ascendens (Pond Cypress) – excellent tree for a wet site; subspecies of T. distichum

Taxodium distichum (Baldcypress) – a Texas native; wet site preferred

Taxodium mucronatum (Montezuma Cypress) – native of Mexico and southern tip of Texas (Hildago and Cameron counties); wet site preferred

Taxodium x ‘Nanjing Beauty’ (Taxodium mucronatum x distichum) – ok so far (2 years); wet site preferred

Taxus baccata (English Yew) – ok so far (2 years)

Taxus cuspidata (Japanese Yew) – ok so far (2 years)

Thuja (standishii x plicata) (Arborvitae ‘Green Giant’) – ok so far (3 years); fast grower; don’t forget to water!

Thuja occidentalis (Eastern Arborvitae) – ok so far (8 years); generally a very adaptable tree

Thuja plicata (Western Red Cedar) – ok so far (11 years); slow grower

Torreya grandis (Chinese Nutmeg Tree) – ok so far (9 years)

Wollemia nobilis (Wollemi Pine)– definitely requires pampering (shade cloth, weed free, regular water)

Zamia pumila (Coontie) – a cycad from Florida and the Caribbean; doing very well here

B.  “NOT SO EASY/DIFFICULT”

 Araucaria araucana (Monkey Puzzle Tree) – needs some pampering, but worth it if you like the ultimate prickly tree

Callitris oblongata (Tasmanian Cypress Pine)