Shade - Texas Ebony

Texas Ebony is a medium sized tree with dark green leaves. These are moderate to slow growing trees native to lowland grassy plains and swamps of S. Texas. They have short compound emerald green leaves along zig-zagged, thorny branches. In spring, they flower with cream to white colored puff-ball like flowers the set ornamental, long wide woody seed pods. Ebony trees form dense canopies, so they do work well as small to medium sized shade trees, but they take time and a bit of training to get there. They tolerate plenty of heat and hot temperatures and a surprising amount of drought suggesting that they may have once been more plentiful across the southwest than their current range suggests. Give them moderate, regular irrigation, especially during summer months until trees become established.

Scientific name:  Olneya tesota

Mature size:  up to 30 ft. high x 15-20 ft. wide

Sun:  Full sun