In an era where global warming is
taking over the world, the need to preserve water resources is becoming more
pronounced. For farm owners, the problem can be strongly felt, especially since
prolonged drought can stress trees and shrubs. To alter this and make a
landscape more resistant to harsh conditions, the most immediate solution is to
grow drought tolerant trees.
Drought Resistant Trees
When looking for vegetation that can
handle dry conditions, it is necessary to look for what works best for your
landscape. Native shrubs, for instance, tend to be better adapted to the
climate and the soil of certain regions. This is because they are more
drought-tolerant than their non-native counterparts. Drought resistant
deciduous trees fall into this category. You may want to choose trees
with small leafs such as oaks and willow, or those with large leaves like
cottonwood. Upland trees give a better performance than those that grow in
bottom lands. Also, choose those that have upright crowns since they are known
to handle dry conditions better.
If you are looking for drought
resistant trees with beautiful pronounced leaves especially during autumn, the
deciduous category has a lot to offer. Some of the best include hackberries,
sumacs, elms species, maple (red and paperbark), ginkgo, and hickory. The
evergreen type is also a great choice for a backyard. These are especially the
best due to their needle-like leaves that need very little water to survive.
These include pitch pine, Virginia pine, shortleaf pine, loblolly pine, and
eastern white pine. Hollies and junipers would be an excellent choice too. The
other great choices include:
- Western sycamore – fast growing shade tree
- Southern Magnolia – flowering evergreen
- Primrose tree
- Eldarica pine – evergreen and fragrant
- Shagbark hickory – has good fall color
- Flame tree
- Brisbane box
- Hawthorns – good flowering display
- Shoestring Acacia
- Thornless honey locust – fast growing and non-messy
- Kentucky coffee tree
- Eastern red cedar – heat tolerant
- Colorado blue spruce – evergreen
- River wattle
- Crape myrtles – showy flowering
- Weeping Myall
- Peppermint Willow
- Paper birch – has fall color and grows fast
- Mugo pines
- Bur oak – large shade tree
If you live in a dry region, the
best way to approach the dry spell is by planting drought tolerant trees. Only
choose trees in your planting zone. The best time to plant drought resistant
trees is during fall.
Learn more are trees and tree
services at Marc’s Tree Service in
Charlotte, NC.
