Flowering and colorful trees
Bottlebrush
Bottlebrush plants (Callistemon spp.) get their name from the spikes of flowers that bloom at the ends of the stems, bearing a strong resemblance to a bottle brush. Grow them as shrubs or small trees that grow up to 15 feet. Most bottlebrush varieties bloom over a long summer season in shades of red or crimson.
Crape Myrtle
Crape Myrtle Trees come in a variety of colors and sizes. Crepe Myrtles are perfect for adding color to your lawn in areas where space is a premium. Plant near power lines or row your driveway with these flowering crape myrtles that can bloom for up to 120 days throughout the spring and summer. Not only are these crape myrtle trees a colorful addition to your lawn, but they are easy to grow!
Desert Willow
Named for its resemblance to willows, this popular ornamental tree is actually related to catalpa trees, Yellow-bells, and Trumpet vine. Its exotic-looking blooms, rapid growth, drought tolerance, and ease of maintenance have made it a sought-after plant within its range, which in nature is from south-central Texas south to Nuevo Leon and Zacatecas in Mexico and west to southern California.
Esperanza
Broadly distributed in the extreme desert Southwest through Mexico all the way south to into Argentina. Vigorous and upright to 15 feet but can be maintained at 6 feet. Beautiful yellow to yellow orange red trumpet flowers in terminal clusters; fruits are long, narrow, unattractive brown pods. Full sun is required, will grows in an loose, open and rangy manner if shaded even lightly.
Flowering Pear
Flowering pear trees produce profuse clusters of white flowers in the spring and pomes in the summer. The flowering ornamentals also bloom during winter, and, like the "Bradford" variety, are pleasingly fragrant. All three grow best under full sun in a range of acidic to slightly alkaline soil types. The "Fauer" prefers moist soil, while the other two tolerate moist or dry conditions.
Golden Rain
The Golden Rain Tree grows to a height of 30–40 feet and a spread of around 35 feet at maturity. The Golden Rain Tree lends grace and charm to the landscape throughout the entire year—rare yellow tree blossoms in the late spring and summer, graceful paper lanterns dangling from the branches in autumn and winter. But this tree is more than just looks.
Huisache
The acacia best known to Central and South Texans is huisache (Acacia farnesiana or A. smallii), also known as sweet acacia. This spiny acacia has feathery doubly compound leaves with 10-18 pairs of tiny secondary leaflets. Usually it gets no more than about 15-20 feet high in this area. During early spring, the branches are densely packed with half-inch spheres of bright-golden-yellow blossoms.
Jacaranda
The jacaranda tree is a tropical beauty with its clusters of fragrant, purple, trumpet-shaped blooms. It makes an excellent shade or street tree. This tree grows to a height of anywhere from 5-50' tall and 15-60' wide. For the best blooming, plant Jacaranda mimosa foliage in full sun. Small trees will be able to live in light shade if needed.
KV Purple Leaf Plum
The Krauter Vesuvius Purple Leaf Plum tree (a.k.a. Purple Cherry Plum) is a ravishing redhead that will delight you with sweet shell-pink flowers in spring and deep burgundy foliage all season. This fast-growing Flowering Plum tree fills out in a hurry but stays a manageable size, topping out at 15 to 20 feet tall and wide.
Magnolia Tree
The Southern Magnolia is beloved for its year-round foliage and delightful, large, late-spring flowers. This evergreen is considered both a flowering tree and an ornamental tree. It grows to a height of 60–80' and a spread of around 40' at maturity. This tree grows at a slow to medium rate, with height increases of anywhere from less than 12" to 24" per year.
Mimosa
Mimosa trees rapidly grow to about 20-25 ft. They have a tropical look, but are very hardy. They adapt to almost any soil type. They are drought tolerant and can be planted in full sun or partial shade. Fragrant, hot pink blooms grow in clusters, adding an explosion of color and excitement to any spring setting. Plant near back patios they attract hummingbirds like no other tree we've ever seen.
Oleander
Oleander is a tough durable shrub and tree that is easy to grow. Abundant, beautiful flowers are produced in many colors and some varieties are delightfully fragrant. New homeowners appreciate oleander's satisfyingly fast growth rate and ability to quickly green up a bare lot. Versatile, can survive both dry and wet soils. Fastest growth occurs when provided moisture in times of drought.
Texas Mountain Laurel
The height of a Texas sage bush depends on its environment. It stays compact and short, up to about 5 feet tall, in arid conditions. Plants tend to grow more than 8 feet tall in gardens where they receive water that supplements rainfall. Compact Texas sage varieties are good for large containers. Shorter cultivars include “Compacta,” which has pink flowers.
Texas redbud
Texas Redbud grows as a deciduous small tree or multi-trunk shrub achieving a height of about 15-20 feet. The Texas redbud differs from the Eastern redbud in that the leaves are rounder, thicker, and very glossy. This variety is more drought and heat tolerant than its Eastern cousin. The Texas redbud is best known for the spring display of purple-red clusters of flowers on bare gray branches.
Vitex
Chaste trees are considered shrubs or small trees growing 15 to 20 feet tall spreading 10 to 15 feet. It attracts butterflies and bees, and it makes an excellent honey plant. Vitex blooms from late spring until early fall with long, upright spikes of pink, lilac and white flowers. Any shrub or tree that blooms all summer is well worth planting. Chaste trees need full sun and very well-drained soil.