Explore Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
rate this answer
Monday - December 10, 2007
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Trees
Title: Native trees with yellow fall leaves
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Hello, I want to plant a medium sized tree in my back yard that has yellow foliage in the fall. I've seen Yellow (in the fall) trees in my part of town (south Austin around West William Cannon)that appear to be some type of oak tree. They appear to be wild trees because they are near a brand new subdivision. Before the area was recently developed it was all forested. These trees must have been there before the development. Any idea what kind of tree I've noticed in my neighborhood and what else can you recommend?ANSWER:
Mr. Smarty Plants thinks the most likely native tree with yellow leaves that you might have seen is Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii (western soapberry), a medium-sized tree. They have been rather spectacular this fall. Mr. SP is not aware of any oaks native to the Austin area with yellow fall leaves.Other native possibilities with yellow fall foliage are:
Carya illinoinensis (pecan), large tree, fall color
Juglans nigra (black walnut), large tree, fall color
Juglans microcarpa (little walnut), medium tree
Fraxinus pennsylvanica (green ash), medium to large tree, fall color
Ulmus crassifolia (cedar elm), medium tree, fall color
Prunus serotina var. eximia (black cherry), small to medium tree, fall color
Gleditsia triacanthos (honeylocust), medium to large tree, fall color
Hamamelis virginiana (American witchhazel), small tree, fall color
If you think the trees you saw were something different, send us a photo and we will do our best to identify them. Please read the instructions for submitting photos under "Plant Identification" on the Ask Mr. Smarty Plants page.
More Trees Questions
Tall screening tree for Santa Barbara, California
August 20, 2011 - Hi, we live in Santa Barbara, California. We are looking for a tree between 20-30 feet high to block the neighbors two-story house yet the area we have to plant is 3 feet from the fence to the drivewa...
view the full question and answer
Pruning of Bauhinia lunarioides
May 29, 2008 - I have a Bauhinia variegata..when is the best time to prune it? it tends to grow horizontally..where do you clip off the limbs?
view the full question and answer
Evergreen oak in Washington
February 17, 2009 - Mr. Smarty Plants,
I live in the Pacific Northwest and noticed an oak tree growing near the road that was evergreen (unusual for here). I was so curious that that last time that I passed the tree,...
view the full question and answer
Plants for area around pool in Plano, Texas
October 13, 2009 - I just built an in ground pool in Plano, Texas and now want to landscape around it on my own. I am curious what plants/shrubs you recommend. There will be plants/shrubs on three sides of the pool. ...
view the full question and answer
Want a source for Mexican redbud in Houston, TX
October 04, 2010 - I live in west Houston and would like to purchase and plant a Mexican redbud in my yard. I have Googled to find one and also searched the Growit site without success. Where can I find one in Texas? I ...
view the full question and answer
 |
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends. |
