Milberger's has the largest selection of fresh, well-rooted trees in the San Antonio area. When choosing trees for your landscape, your main considerations are to choose a species that is well adapted to our climatic conditions and the specific location where it will be planted.
Milberger's has the expertise to ensure your tree thrives in your backyard.
CPS Green Shadow Discount
OUT 2022 a ABRIL 2023
The City of San Antonio and CPS Energy partner to encourage tree planting to save cooling costs. Every year, from October to April, CPS Energy customers can earn up to five rebates by planting trees on their properties. Customers can receive up to $50 off their electricity bill for each tree purchased and planted, up to a maximum of $250 for five trees.
Trees planted on the west, south, and east sides of your home or business provide shade from the sun during the hottest hours of the day. According to the US Department of Energy, carefully placed trees can reduce a home's energy use for heating and cooling by 25%. Beautiful, shady landscaping can also increase property value.
Discounts are granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Customers who have received a maximum of three rebates in the last two growing seasons are eligible for up to two additional Green Shade rebates.
Para se qualificar, você deve ser um cliente da CPS Energy e:
• Between October and April, purchase one or more trees in 5-gallon or larger containers.
• Call 8-1-1 at least 48 hours before digging to avoid collisions with underground utilities and as required by law.
• Plant trees within 3 to 30 feet of an air-conditioned home or building and on the west, south, or east side. Trees planted on the north side are not included.
• Complete the claim form, sign it and mail it along with the original purchase receipt and a map of the plantation site.
CLICK HEREfor a list of trees that qualify for the program, complete rebate guidelines, or to download an app and tree planting guide. Or call 210.353.2728.
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Native shrubs for local landscapes
By Brad Wier, SAWS Conservation Consultant
It can be hard to pick native replacements for the evergreen cookie cutters that populate so many suburban property lines. San Antonio sits on the edge of so many ecoregions: Texas Hill Country, South Texas Plains, Blackland Prairie and Post Oak Savanna. There is no shortage of native plant options and many niches and microclimates for them.
But when it comes to large landscape shrubs, it can be hard to pick native replacements for the cookie-cutter perennials that populate so many property lines in new suburbs.
With that in mind, we've separated some suggestions for native privacy and winter cover plants that keep their leaves. These plants are available from Milbergers Nursery.
Pale(Texas Sage) is the best shrub in South Texas - likes summer sun with or without water and tolerates hedge trimmers. One of the most drought tolerant large landscape shrubs, it sets a standard by which others can be judged. Humidity and rain bring storms of pink flowers to Ash's branches, earning it the nickname "barometer bush".
Texas-Berglorbeerit's a sentimental favorite that displays dazzling purple blooms just in time for Texas Independence Day each year. Mountain Laurel is at home in Hill Country Rock. It usually grows as a single tree, but is seen carved into hedgerows in Laurel Heights and older neighborhoods. If left alone for replanting, it forms glossy dark green masses that look like bushes.
Yaupon Holly'sRed Christmas berries are ubiquitous in the Northside's irrigated residential and commercial landscapes, as Yaupon can be shorn, clipped, or grown as an endless ornamental tree. In the wild, it's native from East Texas to Bastrop, so it doesn't mind growing in clay, but prefers moisture to rocks.
fast-growing coastal shrubwax wallgrows in loamy or sandy soils (such as in southeastern Bexar County, from the Highlands to Floresville). It makes a great "instant hedge" and a native alternative to Photinia and Ligustrum.
the smell ofjuniper gray(Mountain Cedar) at night is synonymous with the Texas foothills, yet strikes fear in the hearts of allergy sufferers. However, remember that only male plants release pollen. Rather than cutting down all your cedars, keep instant casual coverage by keeping a few females (just look for the blue berries). In full sun it grows as a large bush; Pruning is rarely necessary.
Dwarf Yaupon Hollyis another holly that deserves special mention, this is a dwarf version that forms a low hedge of the 'meatball' variety - similar to the box but requires less pruning. Nursery specimens are invariably male (excluding red berries). Like other native hollies, dwarf yaupons do best in deeper soil.
A fragrant bush from the south,wild cherry blondeit smells like cherries, grows vigorously and sows freely. In San Antonio, as long as the soil is deep enough, it thrives in the undergrowth around walnuts, sycamore trees and other huge trees. In the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, it forms a waterless privacy screen, comparable to Xylosma or Ligustrum.
Sumac forever:Wildly neglected and underplanted, evergreen sumac only grows in the rocky soils north of Loop 1604, but is frequently removed from new homelands. A pity as it is an easy 6 foot shrub with sour edible fruit. It does well in the same locations as the Texas Mountain Laurel, but quickly grows to full size with minimal care. It is sometimes easier to keep existing plants than to buy them, as they can be difficult to transplant without disturbing the roots.
Will Fleming Yaupon HollyIt looks like an exclamation mark straight into the landscape, but it's really just an all-male version of the classic Texas Yaupon. It makes a great substitute for Italian cypress as long as the soil is deep enough.
sotolOne of the most ornamental of all desert plants, the sotol, or "desert spoon," will instantly add central Texas flair to any landscape. Planted along a fence, the native green and silver sawtooth species create an effective barrier that even deer may be reluctant to cross.
uncoveredis a quintessential Texas variety (deer and drought resistant) that has been replaced in the suburban landscape by Chinese holly and leathery-leaved mahonia. Combine it with cassava, evergreen sumac or mountain laurel to make the Hill Country bloom again.
It's almost insulting to reserve a mention for him last.prickly pear, but few plants are so easy to grow. It makes a great perennial hole filler in any bush row and can be grown anywhere in Texas as long as you have gloves and boots.
CLICK HEREfor Texas Tree Service planning and tree planting tools
Small trees to balance the landscape.
Dr. Calvin Finch
Often when we think of landscaping, we only think of grass and leafy trees. It is important to balance the landscape between leafy trees and lawns with perennials, shrubs and small trees. In addition to the aesthetic involved, perennial plants, shrubs and small trees allow you to add color to the landscape and the habitat of wild animals such as birds and butterflies. There are a number of small trees to consider.
myrtle pancakethey are a popular way to add small trees to the landscape. There are 2 main arguments for using Crepe Myrtle in the landscape. They offer long summer flowers and you can choose the size of crepe myrtle that adapts perfectly to the space or space that exists in your landscape. Colors you can choose from include lavender, pink, red, and white. Less emphasis has been placed on pruning as research shows that flowering performance is as good as extensive pruning each year. Grow myrtles as show plants or in rows or groups in full sun. Visit plantanswers.com for available flower size and color options. The lists also include information on disease and insect resistance, bark characteristics, and autumn leaf color.
vitexalso called Texas lilac or monk pepper. The deciduous tree grows to around 25 feet tall in full sun. Attractive lavender flowers grow on stems that arch along the canopy of this particularly drought-tolerant tree. Butterflies and hummingbirds use Vitex as a source of nectar. Deer do not eat Vitex. Some gardeners shy away from using Vitex because it has been identified as an invasive plant in some habitats. On the other hand, the Texas A&M Agricultural Extension Service named Vitex a Texas Superstar for its attractive flowering, drought tolerance, and pest-free growth.
He speaks (Japanese pl) is an evergreen tree that grows up to 25 feet tall in sun or shade. Due to its shade tolerance, it can be used at the edge of the landscape under the canopies of large shade trees. The shapely tree with large leaves is also a distinctive plant and does well in rows. The loquat blooms in early winter and is not very showy, but if the winter is mild, the fruit can make a big splash. Eat it fresh or in jam. Loquat fruits are also a popular food for birds. Yields can be high, so avoid planting loquats on the edge of the sidewalk where the fruit will fall on the car.
mexican plumit resembles the loquat in that it bears one fruit and is shade tolerant, but only grows to about 15 feet tall. Flowering in February is ephemeral, but showy. The fruit is again a bird favourite, but the abundance is not overwhelming and ripens in late spring. The Mexican plum tree forms a very compact crown that is attractive as a tree specimen and also to breeding birds such as cardinals and thrushes. Mexican plum is most effective when planted in groups to create a thicket that becomes a hub of bird activity. Deer don't seem to eat Mexican plums.
Mexican plum, crepe myrtle, and medlar are available at any nursery., Texas-Persimmonit's harder to find. You may need to visit a nursery that specializes in native plants or look for native plant sales. The Texas persimmon is a native deciduous tree that grows to about 15 feet tall in most locations. The sexes are on separate trees, so if you have a male there will be no fruit. The species resembles the Mexican plum, but the crown is not as compact and the foliage is more grey-green. Use the Texas persimmon as a wild weed. When the female is laden with fruit, she often appears to be on the move because of the birds. It is particularly attractive to my neighborhood golden woodpeckers.
AnaquaEventually it can grow up to 35 feet tall, but it is not a fast growing tree. Some gardeners know Anaqua as the sandpaper tree due to the texture of the leaves. It is evergreen and forms a very dense crown. Anaqua blooms in early summer and produces sticky yellow fruit in August, which are popular with birds but not with homeowners trying to keep a tidy yard. Deer do not seem to eat Anaqua and are relatively easy to find in area aviaries. Cover it in full sun.
mexican oliveIt has nothing to do with the olives that produce oil and fruit for the table. It is called an olive because it produces a small round fruit each summer that is not very showy or valuable as wild fodder. What you notice about the Mexican olive is the 3-inch white flowers that cover the tree for most of the growing season. Grow Mexican olives in full sun where they can reach 25 feet. large and almost the same diameter. Of all the small trees described, it is the most sensitive to cold. In winters, when temperatures reach 24 degrees, the tops can die, but existing trees grow quickly from the roots.
citrus trees
Kathy Finigan, My Productive Backyard
Citrus fruits are one of the plants that I consider indispensable in the garden. They have beautiful dark green foliage all year round, sensually fragrant flowers at different times of the year, and then produce fabulously colorful edible fruit. They truly are the most perfect garden specimen. Citrus fruits grow well in containers, allowing you to move them to different places in your garden or terrace. Potted citrus can be moved to protected areas to avoid frost.
Like all other plants, container-grown citrus trees need more water than ground plants due to restricted root movement, and although citrus trees like warm, sunny locations, they also need good soil moisture to thrive. stay healthy and produce well.
You need to feed your citrus trees - they are prone to micronutrient deficiencies, which are exacerbated by constant watering. Therefore, you must ensure that you use a fertilizer with a variety of trace elements, especially iron, manganese and zinc. When it comes to containerized citrus fruits, I like to use the "somewhat often" rule. In spring and early fall, I use slow-release organic pellets and then top up with regular liquid fertilizers from early spring to late fall. The type of liquid fertilizer I use depends on the stage of growth of the plant. When the plant is young, I use a fertilizer with a high nitrogen ratio to encourage heavy growth that develops into a strong branch structure. High nitrogen fertilizers also discourage flowering and fruit set, which is necessary until the tree is big and strong enough to produce full-size fruit.
Unless you trellis or pattern your citrus trees will require very little pruning. All I do is trim the top in the spring to encourage vegetation. Trim them to shape, removing stubborn growth. Remove dead or diseased wood.
The Versatility of the Oleander
Oleander plants are among the most versatile shrubs, with dozens of uses in southern and coastal landscapes. They tolerate a wide range of conditions, including difficult soil, salt spray, high pH, heavy pruning, heat reflected from sidewalks and walls, and drought. But what they can't stand are winter temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Oleanders bloom from summer to autumn with fragrant flowers in shades of apricot, copper, pink, lilac, red, purple, salmon, yellow and white, depending on the variety. The plants are best adapted to the west coast, southern states, Florida, and Texas, and are resistant to drought, wind, and salty, marshy soils, making them popular in coastal regions. Oleanders grow from 6 to 12 feet tall and wide, and some varieties can be trained to become small trees up to 20 feet tall. The flowers are very aromatic. All parts of the plant are poisonous to humans and animals if ingested; The sap can cause skin irritation for some people.
Even in the garden, oleander bushes require minimal care. Although the shrubs are drought tolerant, they do best when watered during dry periods. However, be careful not to overwater them. Yellowing leaves indicate that the plant is getting too much water.
When planting an oleander, choose a location with full sun to light shade and well-draining soil. However, oleanders are adaptable and tolerate both dry conditions and marshy soils. Sow in spring or autumn. Houseplants 6 to 12 feet apart, depending on variety. Water the plants in the summer when rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. Prune oleanders after the main flowering period to encourage thicker growth and more flowers and to reduce bush size.
From the August 2015 issueMilberger South Texas GardeningInformative report.