Five Trees for Fall Colors in Texas

The fall season is coming up quick in Texas. With local schools being back in session for a few weeks now, and football season already starting, it feels like fall already!  The change in the weather is also helping us feel the season change. It's getting colder and more beautiful outside, and now we can enjoy it again. Soon enough, our landscapes will be changing and transitioning into fall and showing off some spectacular fall colors along the process.

Design a Festive Landscape

Many of our trees at Moon Valley Nurseries have the outstanding fall reds, purples, yellows, and oranges that we have come to expect and love this time of year. Fall is the best time to plant trees, and these fall-color trees would be perfect and just in time to WOW your neighbors all season long.

Shumard Oak

An awesome fall choice to include in your landscape for ultimate shade is the Shumard Oak Tree. This oak tree is a medium to large sized tree and grows into a canopy with a wide spreading reach, which creates a large area of shade all around it. This tree is a fast-growing species of oak that is very tough and long-living, so it will be part of the family for generations!

This tree is known for its antique look with large dark green leaves that can grow up to eight inches long. Another benefit of having the Shumard Oak is the beautiful vibrant red orange colors that take over the canopy during the fall season that will get you into the holiday festivities!

Crape Myrtle

One of the best plant options for striking bursts of color throughout your yard is the Crape Myrtle tree. This tree blooms from the spring through the fall months and is a perfect addition to any yard, parks, and other properties. In the fall, the Crape Myrtle tree produces exquisite flowers that bloom brightly in many colors such as pink, purple, red, and white.

The Crape Myrtle can be planted nearly anywhere because it stays small-to-medium in size. They look lovely when they are planted in clusters and rows or as an accent tree full of color that will pop against green foliage or deciduous trees that share the landscape. For ultimate blooming potential, we recommend pruning in the winter while the tree is dormant.

Flowering Pear

The Flowering Pear tree might seem like an odd choice for fall colors, but it will definitely add color to your landscape! This moderate-to-fast growing tree produces bright white flowers from winter to spring, creating a huge contrast to any evergreen plant materials or deciduous trees in the same area.

The Flowering Pear is easy to care for and can be pruned to fit your needs or grown out naturally to add more shade to your yard. With leaves that turn from dark green to vibrant purplish-red coloring in the fall, it also helps guide you into the changing of the seasons. Ask our nursery professional about the different varieties we carry and which ones would be best for your home.

Cedar Elm

The Cedar Elm Tree thrives in Texas because of how strong it is to all kinds of weather and most types of soil commonly found in the Houston and Austin areas of Texas. Full sun is ideal for the Cedar Elm, which is also drought-tolerant. These traits make this elm tree perfect for some extra summer shade around your house without having to worry about plant health issues.

By fall, the leaves will turn to a spectacular golden yellow signifying the fall season. Cedar Elms are native Texas trees often found growing in woodlands, ravines and open slopes around our regions. One look at the Cedar Elm and you will see why it is a favorite landscaping tree that is beautiful and functional all year-round.

Red Maple

The name should give away why it’s on the list of fall-colored trees, but the Red Maple Tree has the fall season in its name - Autumn Blaze!! If you have never seen one, you might wonder how it got that name. This deciduous tree is a great shade tree with a thick, dark green canopy most of the year. Come fall, the Red Maple puts on a vibrant show! As soon as the weather cools down, the canopy of this tree turns bright red and stands out from very far away. Another significant aspect of this tree is how easy it is to maintain. It can be planted in any soil type, loves the humid air, loves full sun, and can handle low to moderate watering cycles.

Get Started with your FREE Custom Design at our Nursery

Find a Moon Valley Nurseries location near you to see the best fall trees for your region. Our nursery professionals are always ready to start designing yards and achieving our customers' goals.