What to plant in Central Texas this fall, when to put it in the ground, and how far apart. Built from the same numbers printed on every product page, so it cannot tell you something the tree page doesn't.
Why fall, not spring
Texas roots grow all winter. Tops don't. A tree that goes in between mid-October and February puts on six months of root before its first August, which is the month that kills spring-planted trees here. That is why Texas Arbor Day is the first Friday in November, not April, and why we will not ship you a tree in July.
The windows, species by species
Two groups. Most of our natives take the ground from October 15. Three of them, mountain laurel, possumhaw and anacacho orchid, resent being moved with any leaf on them, so they wait until November 1 and ship through January. Every window below is the one on that tree's own page.
| Tree | Native status | USDA zones | Plant in Texas | Ships | Spacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anacacho Orchid | Texas native | USDA 8-10 | Nov 1 - Feb 28 | Ships Nov 1, 2026 - Jan 31, 2027 | 8 to 10 ft |
| Cedar Elm | Texas native | USDA 6-9 | Oct 15 - Feb 28, ideal Nov-Jan | Ships Oct 15 - Dec 15, 2026 | 30 to 40 ft |
| Chinquapin Oak | Texas native | USDA 5-9 | Oct 15 - Feb 28 | Ships Oct 15 - Dec 15, 2026 | 40 to 50 ft |
| Lacey Oak | Texas native | USDA 6-9 | Oct 15 - Feb 28 | Ships Oct 15 - Dec 15, 2026 | 25 to 30 ft |
| Mexican Sycamore | Texas adapted | USDA 8-10 | Oct 15 - Feb 28, ideal Nov-Dec | Ships Oct 15 - Dec 15, 2026 | 30 to 40 ft, and not within 20 ft of a foundation or a septic field |
| Monterrey Oak (Mexican White Oak) | Texas adapted | USDA 7-10 | Oct 15 - Feb 28 | Ships Oct 15 - Dec 15, 2026 | 30 to 40 ft |
| Possumhaw Holly | Texas native | USDA 5-9 | Nov 1 - Feb 28 | Ships Nov 1, 2026 - Jan 31, 2027 | 12 to 15 ft |
| Sawtooth Oak | Not native | USDA 5-9 | Oct 15 - Feb 28, ideal Nov-Jan | Ships within 21 days of purchase (25-Tree Acre Pack: within 30 days) | 20 to 30 ft in a hedgerow, 30 to 40 ft for an open mast plot |
| Texas Mountain Laurel | Texas native | USDA 7-10 | Nov 1 - Feb 28, best planted fully dormant | Ships Nov 1, 2026 - Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Texas Red Oak | Texas native | USDA 6-9 | Oct 15 - Feb 28 | Ships Oct 15 - Dec 15, 2026 | 25 to 35 ft |
| Yaupon Holly | Texas native | USDA 7-10 | Oct 15 - Feb 28 | Ships Oct 15 - Dec 15, 2026 | 6 to 8 ft on-center for a screen, 12 ft as a specimen |
The day it arrives
- Open the carton that day. Five days boxed is the outside limit.
- Measure it against the "What actually ships" numbers on its product page. If it misses, we refund you and you keep the tree.
- Scratch the bark with a thumbnail. Green means alive. Some leaf drop in transit is normal.
- Water it in the pot the same day if it is not going in the ground within 48 hours.
Planting in caliche and black clay
Dig the hole twice as wide as the container and no deeper. Set the root flare at or slightly above grade. Deep planting is the most common way a Texas tree dies slowly. Backfill with the soil you dug out, not bagged mix. Water to settle, mulch two inches deep to the drip line, keep mulch off the trunk. Stake only if the site is windy, and remove the stake after one growing season.
Water, the honest version
Weekly through the first summer, deep and slow, roughly ten gallons per inch of trunk caliper. Most of these species need little to nothing once established. That is why they are on the list, but established means the second summer, not the first.
Windows and zones are read live from each product's specification. If a product page and this guide ever disagree, the product page is the binding one. Questions: hello@alreadygrown.com.