Saucer Magnolia

Saucer Magnolia

Dec 6, 2021 | News

Unique Trees of North Texas:

Saucer Magnolia

(Magnolia x soulangiana)

By Jeremy Priest
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The saucer magnolia is a hybrid exotic ornamental species planted in the Cross Timbers. The X in the scientific name (Magnolia x soulangeana) indicates that this a hybrid species; it was created by crossing two species within the Yuliana subgenus: Yulan magnolia (M. denudata) and purple magnolia (M. liliflora). Saucer magnolia combines the traits of the larger Yulan magnolia with the more colorful but small statured purple magnolia to create a medium size tree with pinkish-white flowers. Both parent species of this hybrid are exotic to North America.

Although a member of the Magnolia genus, this hybrid is in subgenus Yuliana which differs in flower structure from the Magnolia subgenus. Furthermore, all species in the Yuliana subgenus are deciduous, while the Magnolia subgenus contains both deciduous and evergreen species such as our southern magnolia. While southern magnolia is the most well-known native magnolia, there are actually ten magnolia species native to the United States (if you include Puerto Rico).

Saucer magnolia is distinct in early spring as its flowers bloom prior to leaf out. The large, showy, pink-and-white flowers typically appear in early March. Interestingly, the common name seems to come from the cup-and-saucer shape of the flowers in many varieties. The bark is light colored and the leaves are a bright green color with a distinct ovate shape. The buds alternate on the twig and are large, green, and fuzzy through the winter. The trunk is almost always multi-stemmed but is still capable of reaching 20-30 feet in height (usually 25 feet when fully grown). Trunk diameters over 10 inches in the Cross Timbers are uncommon for this medium-size tree.

 In the Arlington Woodland West neighborhood, many original homeowners chose to plant saucer magnolia as memorial trees for a spouse or loved ones. Although decades have passed in some cases, the trees are still growing for the generations that followed. Though the trees are not native and not particularly drought tolerant, they are thriving and have survived for many years at these homes.

 

Although not native, this magnolia’s dazzling early flowers and proven compatibility with post oak forests make saucer magnolia a unique tree of North TexasPart of the resilience of saucer magnolia in this Arlington neighborhood is due to the extensive shade provided by numerous post oaks. In North Texas, saucer magnolias probably do best when planted in shady or partly shady conditions; shade and soil quality are important factors to help these trees tolerate Texas heat. This tree can also grow under building overhangs thanks to its shade tolerance but remember this tree will likely reach at least 20 feet height. Care for this species should include supplemental summer watering; watering lawns for grasses should be sufficient to water established saucer magnolias except in extremely hot and dry weather or drought periods. Saucer magnolia prefers acidic soil and likely will not tolerate heavy clay soils. The species is cold tolerant and survived the 2021 Winter Storm with no problems. Pruning is necessary to keep tree out of walkways due to the drooping nature of the crown.

Although not native, this magnolia’s dazzling early flowers and proven compatibility with post oak forests make saucer magnolia a unique tree of North Texas.

Turf vs. Tree: The Fight for Light

Turf vs. Tree: The Fight for Light

May 26, 2019 | News

By Laura Miller

Most residential and commercial landscapes feature some combination of two very different plants, large growing, long lived woody perennials featuring a single main trunk and low growing, long lived grasses.  People enjoy spending time outdoors when they have both cool shade above and soft carpet below, but amid all this loveliness there is a struggle to get enough of one of the things all plants need to survive: light.

Horticulture Extension Agents spend a great deal of time on calls and emails that go a bit like this “I am having trouble getting grass to grow under my oak tree and it just seems to get worse no matter what I do.”  The caller/emailer is correct. As the tree continues to grow, it will get worse. So, what can be done?

Create or enlarge a mulched bed

When a new tree is planted in a landscape, best practices include mulching over the root ball.  Mulch provides protection for tree roots by moderating soil temperature, reducing evaporation of soil moisture and preventing competition from grass and weed roots.  Mulch even protects the tree trunk from injury because lawn mowers and string trimmers won’t have to get right up next to it. Doesn’t it make sense to enlarge that mulched area as the tree grows?  

Crowded ash trees over turf

Choosing a shade adapted turfgrass under closed canopy tree cover allows grass without stressing the tree

Choose shade adapted species and cultivars of turf

St. Augustine is the most shade tolerant of the commonly used warm season turfgrass species in North Texas.  Bermudagrass is the most commonly used, fastest growing, toughest turfgrass species in North Texas, but it is not shade tolerant. In fact, shade is one of the few ways to get rid of unwanted Bermudagrass.   Zoysiagrass is becoming more popular for many reasons, including the large number of new and improved cultivars on the market, but it is much more shade tolerant than bermudagrass while offering the fine texture that many people prefer.  It is a great choice for a lawn with a combination of sunny and shady areas. Bufflograss? It needs a home where it can roam free from shade.

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Prune trees appropriately

This advice can go so wrong.  It is appropriate to shorten lower branches of young to medium age trees with the goal of reducing their growth and preparing for their eventual removal.  It is appropriate for a large shade tree’s lowest scaffold limb to be situated eight to fourteen feet above ground, but that will take planning and pruning over time.  It is not appropriate to remove large lower branches of mature trees. The other widely used inappropriate pruning practice employed by those who want the grass to grow under the tree is commonly called “lions tailing.”  The pruner removes all the interior foliage along the branches leaving just poof of leaves at the end of the tree limbs. It is kind of the arborilogical equivalent of or a poodle cut. Just as dog fur starts growing where it was trimmed, new sprouts will come out all over the limbs.  The comparison falls apart here because while a dog may need its fur to stay warm, a tree is totally dependent upon leaves to make its own food. Take too many away and it suffers. Lions tailing also results in sun scalded bark and less stable branches because weight is not distributed evenly along the limb. It also results in unattractive epicormic shoots.

Raised canopy on eastern redcedar

“It is appropriate for a large shade tree’s lowest scaffold limb to be situated eight to fourteen feet above ground, but that will take planning and pruning over time.”

Avoid excess nitrogen

One of the ways that turf tries to compensate for the lack of light in a shaded area is by shifting resources to shoot growth at the expense of growing strong roots. Plant lovers know that strong roots are the key to survival when resources are limited.  Giving the plant excess nitrogen fertilizer will exacerbate this problem.

Increase mowing heights

On the other hand, a plant growing in the shade really does need all the photosynthetic tissue it can get, so raising the mowing height of turf in shady areas is helpful.  In a recent United States Golf Association study, raising mowing height in shaded areas was found to produce especially good improvements in turf quality with reduced daily light interval requirements in zoysiagrass cultivars.

Minimize or direct traffic

This is just common sense.  Don’t walk, play, or park your car on weak turf.  If you need a path, create one.

Choose a shade tolerant groundcover

Someone should measure the number of acres of Trachelospermum asiaticum growing in North Texas landscapes.  There are reasons every nursery has plenty of Asiatic jasmine, lirope, and mondo grass available at all times.

2019 SMA Urban Tree of the Year

2019 SMA Urban Tree of the Year

Jan 18, 2019 | News

American Hophornbeam

(Ostrya virginiana)

By Michelle Sutton. Originally published in City Trees, reprinted with permission.

Each fall, Society of Municipal Arborists members vote for the Urban Tree of the Year. In 2019, members are elevating American hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana), a very tough tree with subtle, often underappreciated beauty. It is a medium-sized tree in the birch family that has an extensive native range east of the Rockies, from Manitoba to Florida.

“Ostrya virginiana has common names that include American hophornbeam, Eastern hophornbeam, hornbeam, ironwood, leverwood … a poster child for why common names can be a problem,” says Cornell Urban Horticulture Institute Director Nina Bassuk. She describes Ostrya as an understory tree that is distinctive for its bark, which looks like thin, evenly spaced stringy strips lightly exfoliating from the trunk.

Bassuk says, “When we urban foresters bring it out of the forest and onto the street, it makes a generally oval to rounded tree, about 30 feet (9.1 m) tall at maturity, with somewhat downward drooping branches. The distinctive hop-like flowers that give Ostyra its common name are most numerous when it has some sunlight, but the tree grows well in light shade, too.” 

Although it manages dry periods in the shade of the forest, it is not particularly drought-tolerant on the street. However, Bassuk says that at the Urban Horticulture Institute (UHI), they have found that Ostrya tolerates a wide soil pH range and is pest-free, making it well worth consideration.

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Transplanting Ostrya can be a bit touchy, but planting small caliper and bare root in the fall is the most economical way to go. “Our UHI research on transplantability of Ostrya virginiana agrees with others that it is difficult to transplant successfully,” Bassuk says. “In our study, small-caliper (1.5 inch/38 mm) trees showed significant transplant shock in the first year after planting but then recovered in their second year. B&B trees transplanted better in the spring than bare root trees, while B&B and bare root trees transplanted equally well in the fall. Regardless of production method or season, small-caliper trees would be recommended when transplanting.”

Virginia Tech Associate Professor of Urban Forestry Eric Wiseman is a big fan of Ostrya, which is hardy in zones 3 through 9A. “For arborists, the attraction of hophornbeam goes beyond its outward appearance, for it fills a gap in the plant palette where few other native species have similar traits,” he says. “Here in Virginia, it is a fairly slow-growing species that reaches up to 40 feet (12.2 m) at maturity. Because it tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, it’s a good candidate for planting in narrow tree lawns, sidewalk cutouts, and parking lot buffers throughout most of the conterminous United States and southern Canada.” Wiseman shares that on the Virginia Tech campus, hophornbeam was the tree of choice for an outdoor dining area on the south side of the student center, where both above- and below-ground space were at a premium, yet shade and ambience were for critical to diners’ comfort.

The Scoiety of Municipal Arborists Tree of the Year Award

The SMA 2019 Urban Tree of the Year designation recognizes the underutilized, attractive, and useful American hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) for its service to urban forests and encourages its use when matched appropriately to site and as part of a diverse urban tree inventory. You can see the full list of past Tree of the Year winners on the SMA website.

  • Ostrya virginiana "hops" These characteristic seed pods give the tree it's common name Boyle Park, Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas

  • Ostrya virginiana bark

  • Ostrya virginiana leaf

  • Male catkins present on most trees (monoecious)

“Hophornbeam wood is strong and the tree naturally takes on an excurrent growth habit with well-spaced, subordinate scaffold branches,” Wiseman says. “As such, it requires minimal structural pruning and holds up well in storms and busy urban environments. Given its slow growth rate, transplanting and aftercare require attention and patience. But once established, hophornbeam has few serious pest or disease problems.”

City of Southlake, Texas Landscape Administrator Keith Martin grew up with American hophornbeam in Houston and East Texas. “I nominated it simply because I think it should be used more in urban landscape settings, including my part of North Texas,” he says. “From my observation of hophornbeam in East Texas and Arkansas, it grows in a wide variety of soils, has strong wood, seems to be very drought tolerant, and has distinguishing yellow fall color. I think it would make an excellent ornamental, understory, or accent tree to be planted in place of other trees that are regularly overplanted in the South like red bud (Cercis canadensis), Mexican plum (Prunus mexicana), crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.), and Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria).”

Note from the Cross Timbers Editor

American hophornbeam (not to be confused with American hornbeam) is a worthy medium-sized street or shade tree; however, there are few specimens in the Cross Timbers region and this species is not found in nurseries. This is an eastern species that may require more water than we receive from rainfall so it would be recommended to attempt planting in irrigated areas. In east Texas, hophornbeam grows very well in sandy soils, whether upland or adjacent to streams and ponds. Transplanting may be difficult, as stated, but experimenting with this species could increase diversity and resiliency of urban forests in our region. It’s horizontal branch structure also makes it excellent for tree climbing!

Selecting the Right Tree

Selecting the Right Tree

Nov 29, 2017 | Science

Remember to consider soil and surroundings when choosing your next tree

By Jeremy Priest

Most of us know about proper tree planting procedures (if not, see the resources below), but did you know that one of the most important aspects of a tree’s success starts with selecting the right tree? Many times a homeowner will plant a tree without considering two very important aspects: soil type and growing space. The first step in tree planting should be evaluating your soil conditions to determine some basic aspects.

  • Soil pH: The cross timbers region has a range of pH from acidic to alkaline so it’s important to choose species fitting your soil. The more eastern species such as redbud, maples, southern pines, and red oaks are examples of species that generally prefer acidic soils.

    Red oak located under power lines on a poor soil type

    This red oak is an example of a poor species & location match. The soil at this site is alkaline, which is not ideal for the species. The combination of soil and stress from regular pruning, due to the power lines overhead, lead to the tree’s decline.

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    Mesquite, Gambel oak, and Monterrey oak are species that generally prefer alkaline soils. Many popular tree species promoted nationally are not adapted to moderately alkaline soils found in the cross timbers.

  • Soil water and drainage: Coarse texture soils such as sand and silt do not retain much moisture, so upland sites with these soils often have drought tolerant species such as post oak or blackjack oak. If you have this type of soil, and cannot regularly water, consider planting drought tolerant species such as desert willow or live oak. Fine texture soils like clay can retain water to the point of harming the tree. Species adapted to poorly drained soils include eastern redcedar, cedar elm, baldcypress, and bur oak.

Remember to consider pH, water availability, and drainage all together. The next step is to determine how much space is available and what the purpose of the tree will be.

  • Small/ornamental: These trees mostly provide beauty or natural screening from surroundings. Crapemyrtle, desert willow, and Eve’s necklace are examples of ornamental trees.
  • Medium-size: These trees are generally narrow, may not grow as tall as canopy species, and often retain lower branches suitable for providing natural screening. Examples include magnolia, eastern redcedar, or exoctic pines such as Afghan pine.
  • Large/canopy: These species are the dominant trees on the landscape, providing shade and most of the environmental benefits provided by urban trees. Examples include the oak species (live, bur, chinkapin, or post), pecan, native pines, elms, and ash. These trees have a large canopy spread and often provide food for wildlife.

Each size of tree can provide a mix of beauty, screening/visibility, or shade. Consider planting a mix of not only different species, but tree sizes as well. There are lots of resources available on the web to educate and make for a successful tree planting.

U

Additional Information

A number of sites provide useful information for tree selection; see the list below for help with selecting a tree and learning more about your soil type. This is not a comprehensive list, there are many recommended tree species lists for North Texas out there so please research other sites as well.
Resources

Tree Selection Guide – Provided by the Texas A&M Forest Service

U.S. Soil Map – Web Soil Survey from the USDA NRCS

Fort Worth Recommended Tree List – The City of Fort Worth Native & Adapted Tree List

Urban Forest Information Sheets – Helpful information provided by the Texas A&M Forest Service

Tree Planting and Care – How to plant a tree from the City of Arlington