One of the many benefits of building your home with Esperanza Homes is that we understand the importance of landscaping. Not only does it add significant value to your property, we want our homeowners to come home to a beautifully landscaped yard to go with their beautifully built home. We’ve compiled a list of trees that are common in our landscaping plan to help you prepare and have a better understanding of what to expect in your new Esperanza Home.
Trees
The Rio Grande valley is home to some rare and beautiful trees. In fact, for some trees, like the Montezuma cypress, the Rio Grande Valley is the only place that this tree can be spotted.
The Valley uses plants that are essentially drought-tolerant, requiring little or no watering, and yet create a cool shady space, a colorful garden, and an ideal habitat for birds.
Fiddlewood
Plant Habit or Use: large shrub small tree
Exposure:sun
Flower Color: white
Blooming Period: spring/summer
Fruit Characteristics: shiny orange or yellow drupe (aging to black)
Height: to 18 feet
Width: to 15 feet
Plant Character: deciduous
Heat Tolerance:very high
Soil Requirements: adaptable
Mexican Olive Tree
Plant Habit or Use:shrub small tree
Exposure: sun
Flower Color:trumpet-shaped white with yellow throats
Blooming Period: spring summer
Fruit Characteristics: white to pale yellow drupe, turning yellow-brown
Height: to 25 ft.
Width: to 25 ft.
Plant Character: evergreen
Heat Tolerance: high
Water Requirements: low
Soil Requirements: adaptable
Mexican Orchard Tree
Category:Shrubs/Trees/Tropicals and Tender Perennials
Exposure:Full Sun/Sun to Partial Shade
Flower Color:White/Near White
Blooming Period:Mid Summer
Height:10-12 ft. (3-3.6 m)/12-15 ft. (3.6-4.7 m)
Bloom Characteristics:This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Water Requirements:Drought-tolerant; suitable for xeriscaping
Average Water Needs:Water regularly; do not overwater
Foliage Color: Blue-Green
MEXICAN POINCIANA
Plant Habit or Use: large shrub small tree
Exposure:sun
Flower Color: gold racemes, 3 to 6 in.
Blooming Period: summer fall
Fruit Characteristics:pod, 3 to 6 in. long. Pods and seeds are reported to be poisonous.
Height: to 30 ft., usually smaller
Width: to 15 ft.
Plant Character: evergreen
Heat Tolerance: very high
Water Requirements:low
Soil Requirements: neutral
ROBELLINI PALM
Plant Habit or Use:medium tree large tree
Exposure: sun partial sun
Flower Color: white to creamy white, 7 to 8 ft. stalks
Blooming Period: spring
Fruit Characteristics: black berry-like fruit
Height: to 50 ft.
Width: to 15 ft.
Plant Character: evergreen
Heat Tolerance: very high
Water Requirements:medium low
Soil Requirements:adaptable
TEXAS PERSIMMON
Plant Habit or Use: large shrub small tree
Exposure: sun
Flower Color: green to white-green, interesting on close inspection, resemble small urns
Blooming Period:spring
Fruit Characteristics: on female trees only, 1" diameter black berries (persimmons)
Height: 15' to 20'
Width: 15' to 20'
Plant Character:deciduous
Heat Tolerance:very high
Water Requirements: low
Soil Requirements:adaptable
Anaqua Sandpaper
Plant Habit or Use: large shrub medium tree
Exposure:sun partial sun
Flower Color: white
Blooming Period: spring summer
Fruit Characteristics: orange drupes
Height: to 50 ft.
Width:to 45 ft.
Plant Character:deciduous
Heat Tolerance:very high
Water Requirements: medium low
Soil Requirements:alkaline adaptable
CEDAR ELM
Plant Habit or Use:medium tree large tree
Exposure: sun
Flower Color: red-brown to red-green
Blooming Period:summer fall
Fruit Characteristics:winged samara in autumn
Height: to 90 ft.
Width: to 80 ft.
Plant Character:deciduous
Heat Tolerance:very high high
Water Requirements: medium low
Soil Requirements:alkaline adaptable
Ebony
Plant Habit or Use: large shrub small tree
Exposure:sun
Flower Color: cream or yellow spikes
Blooming Period:summer
Fruit Characteristics:curved pod 4-6 in. long
Height: to 50 ft.
Width: to 40 ft.
Plant Character: semievergreen
Heat Tolerance: very high
Water Requirements:low
Honey Mesquite
Plant Habit or Use:large shrub small tree medium tree
Exposure:sun
Flower Color:peak in mid- to late spring, sproradically therafter, creamy white, 3" to 5" long drooping catkins, fragrant, but often a source of allergins.
Blooming Period: spring summer fall
Fruit Characteristics:pod resembling a waxbean, tan flushed red, rarely red
Height:to 30 ft.
Width: to 40 ft.
Plant Character: deciduous
Heat Tolerance:very high
Water Requirements:low
Soil Requirements: adaptable
Hong Kong Orchid
Plant Habit or Use: Trees Tropicals and Tender Perennials
Exposure: Full Sun/Sun to Partial Shade/Light Shade
Flower Color:Pale Pink/Magenta (Pink-Purple)/White/Near White
Blooming Period: Mid Spring/Late Spring/Early Summer/Mid Summer
Height:30-40 ft. (9-12 m)
Water Requirements:Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Huisache
Plant Habit or Use:large shrub small tree
Exposure: sun
Flower Color:golden yellow
Blooming Period:spring
Fruit Characteristics: pod, rounded cylinder less than 3" long, does not shatter on ripening.
Height:to 30 ft.
Width:to 40 ft.
Plant Character:evergreen semievergreen
Heat Tolerance:very high
Water Requirements:low
Soil Requirements:alkaline adaptable
Jacaranda
Plant Habit or Use:Flowering Tree
Exposure: sun
Flower Color: blue/purple
Blooming Period: June to July
Height: 25-50 ft
Width:15-30 ft
Heat Tolerance: drought tolerant, but should be watered during dry periods.
Water Requirements: Moderate Water
Live Oak
Plant Habit or Use:medium tree large tree
Exposure:sun
Flower Color:yellow catkins, 1-3 in. long
Blooming Period: spring
Fruit Characteristics: acorns, 1 in. long
Height: 40 to 50 ft.
Width: 80 to 100 ft.
Plant Character:evergreen semievergreen
Heat Tolerance:very high
Water Requirements:medium low
Soil Requirements: adaptable
Monterry Oak
Plant Habit or Use: tree
Exposure: full sun
Folliage: Evergreen
Blooming Period:mid spring
Fruit Characteristics: acorns
Height: 40 to 50 ft.
Plant Character:evergreen semievergreen
Heat Tolerance: very high
Water Requirements:drought tolerant, average water
Montezuma Cypress
Plant Habit or Use:Tree, medium tree, large tree
Exposure:sun, partial sun
Flower Color:None, cone bearing.
Blooming Period:Spring
Fruit Characteristics:Small globose cones that fall apart at maturity.
Height:50 ft or so in Texas, taller in Mexico.
Width:20 ft to 30 ft, more in Mexico.
Sugar Hackberry
Plant Habit or Use:medium tree large tree
Exposure:sun
Flower Color:greenish, inconspicuous
Blooming Period:spring
Fruit Characteristics:small 1/4" blue-black drupe with a hard nut-like seed inside; favorite of birds
Height: to 60'
Width: to 65 ft.
Plant Character:deciduous
Heat Tolerance: very high
Water Requirements:medium low
Soil Requirements:adaptable
Tepeguaje
Plant Habit or Use:medium tree
Exposure: sun
Flower Color: white
Blooming Period:spring summer
Fruit Characteristics: pod with narrow, flattened seeds
Height:to 55 ft.
Width: to 40 ft.
Plant Character:deciduous
Heat Tolerance:very high
Water Requirements:medium
Soil Requirements: alkaline
Texas Ash
Plant Habit or Use:medium tree
Exposure:sun partial sun
Flower Color: green or purple
Blooming Period: spring
Fruit Characteristics:small woody winged samara in 6" to 8" long panicles
Height: to 50 ft.
Width: to 40 ft.
Plant Character:deciduous
Heat Tolerance:very high high
Water Requirements:medium low
Soil Requirements: adaptable
