• Trees provide shade in which other plants can grow.red gum tree 1. image by mdb from Fotolia.com
  
  Trees are the staple of any landscape. Not only are they beautiful to look at, trees provide necessary shade, reducing the need for air conditioning. Trees also improve air quality and provide food and shelter for birds and other wildlife. Many gardeners prefer fast growing trees to attain these benefits quickly. Before you plant your tree, gauge the amount of moisture and sunlight your tree will receive in your chosen location and determine your growing zone. Texas boasts many USDA Hardiness Zones from 6 in far north, to 11 along the gulf coast.
  
  

Cider Gum Eucalyptus

• Growing up to 50 feet tall and 30 feet wide, this towering eucalyptus tree is drought-tolerant once established. Beautiful bluish green new leaves darken into deep green as they mature. Cider Bum eucalyptus is deer-resistant and boasts tiny white flowers in the spring. This evergreen tree needs full sun. Feed with a general purpose fertilizer before new growth appears in the spring.
  
  

Akebono Yoshino Cherry

• Growing in all but the most southern reaches of Texas, this deciduous, fast growing tree brightens your spring garden with a profusion of pale pink blooms. Akebono Yoshino cherry tree reaches 25 feet tall and wide and needs regular watering, especially in the hot summer months. Plant where it will receive full sun. It's beautiful as an accent tree or lining a driveway. Prune this tree in winter and feed before new growth begins in the spring.
  
  

California Pepper Tree

• This drought resistant, evergreen shade tree grows quickly to 40 feet tall and wide. Grey-green feathery leaves drape off arching branches. Tiny white flowers bloom in the summer. Pink berries attract birds in the fall. This tree is native to the Andes Mountains in Peru and was brought to this country by Spanish colonials. It proved well-suited to dry areas of California and the desert Southwest, including Texas.
  
  

Mountain Ash

• This deciduous tree has a beautiful bluish green foliage. Tiny white flowers bloom in the late spring to early summer. The berries of this tree are edible but tart. Leaves will turn yellow or red in a fall show, before disappearing until the spring. Mountain Ash grows to 30 feet tall and wide. It needs full sun and regular watering, especially during the summer months.
  
  

Tulip Tree

• Beautiful tulip-shaped, green-tinged, yellow flowers bloom in the late spring, above variegated foliage on this fast growing tree. Growing to 60 feet tall and 25 feet wide, the Tulip tree thrives in full sun and needs regular watering, especially in the first year when the root system is forming. In the fall, this tree puts on a show with attractive golden yellow leaves. Shape this tree in the winter while it's dormant.