While most desert trees provide dappled shade, Texas ebony will cover your yard in dense shade. But since it’s slow-growing, it will take a while. Here’s how to plant and care for this Chihuahuan Desert native.
Texas ebony (Ebenopsis ebano) is an evergreen tree native to southern Texas and Mexico. It has small dark green leaves and fuzzy, creamy-white flowers that are followed by large woody seed pods.
As a Chihuahuan Desert native, it’s as resilient as you would expect. It’s drought-resistant once established and takes extreme temperatures and blazing sun in its stride.
It forms an unusually dense canopy providing shade, privacy, and a safe haven for birds. The flowers attract bees and plants are a larval host for butterflies.
Why I Like This Plant
- Glossy evergreen leaves
- Distinctive large seed pods
- Resilient desert native
- Beneficial to bees and butterflies
Things to Watch Out For
Texas ebony has nasty thorns and a dense, tangled canopy. This makes it difficult to prune and shape.
Trees grow extremely slowly, so they’re not a good choice if you want shade fast.
Trees produce large (4 to 6″) woody pods that sometimes persist on the tree for up to a year.
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding a Texas ebony to your garden, you need to find a suitable place that will keep your plant healthy and looking good… while minimizing maintenance for you.
Here are the key factors to keep in mind.
Temperature
Texas ebony should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 – 11. As a desert native, it can take extreme heat and cold. It’s typically evergreen in Zone 9 but can lose its leaves in winter in Zone 8. It will survive temperatures down to 15℉.
Sun Exposure
Texas ebony prefers full sun, and even reflected heat, but it will tolerate part shade.
Size and Growth Rate
Texas ebony is often considered a small tree, but that’s only because it’s a slow grower that stays small for so long. It can ultimately reach a size of 15’ to 30’ tall and wide.
Because it grows slowly, it’s often recommended that you start with a decent size specimen (15+ gallon) so you don’t have to wait years to enjoy it.
Soil
Texas ebony will grow in almost any well-drained desert soil — sandy, loamy, rocky, or clay.
Texas Ebony:
The Essentials
| Common Name | Texas ebony |
| Scientific Name | Ebenopsis ebano |
| Origin | Chihuahuan Desert |
| Plant Type | Evergreen tree |
| USDA Zones | Zones 8 – 11 |
| Cold Hardiness | To 15℉ |
| Flower Color | Cream |
| Flower Season | Summer |
| Mature Size | 15-30’ high & wide |
| Growth Rate | Very slow |
| Sun Tolerance | Full, part, reflected sun |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Pests & Diseases | None |
| Cautions | Thorns |
| Wildlife | Attracts bees, butterflies |
How to Plant
The rule of thumb when planting any shrub or tree in the desert is to dig a hole three times as wide as the root ball but no deeper. Amending the soil is not recommended. Counterintuitively, backfilling with the same native soil you just dug up helps your plant develop a stronger root system.
When to Plant
The best time to plant Texas ebony is in the fall. This gives your tree three seasons to grow roots and get established before the following summer.
The second best time is in spring, the earlier the better. This still gives your plant time to get established before the intense heat of June arrives.
How to Care for Texas Ebony
Whether you’ve recently planted a new Texas ebony or have an existing one in your yard, here’s how to take care of it to keep it healthy and looking its best.
How to Water New Plants
Once you’ve got your Texas ebony in the ground, watering is your most immediate concern.
Here is the recommended watering schedule for new trees planted in the spring or fall.
| Weeks 1 & 2 | Every 3 – 4 days |
| Weeks 3 & 4 | Every 6 – 7 days |
| Weeks 5 & 6 | Every 7 – 10 days |
After week 6, continue to water every 7 to 10 days.
How to Water Established Plants
Water newly planted Texas ebony trees thoroughly every 7 to 10 days for the first year. Giving a young tree regular water will speed up its growth rate.
In subsequent years, you can water Texas ebony twice per month in the summer and once per month in the winter.
Should You Fertilize?
There is no need to fertilize Texas ebony which evolved to grow in desert soil. And as a member of the legume family (Fabaceae), it fixes nitrogen, which naturally improves the surrounding soil.
How to Prune
Texas ebony is not an easy tree to prune. It naturally grows as a dense shrub with branches down to the ground.
When young, trees are a tangled mess with wicked thorns. It’s easy to do a bad job, ruining the shape forever.
When improperly pruned, the trunks are susceptible to sun scald. And when dense mature trees are not thinned, they are prone to wind damage.
If you want your tree to reach its optimal potential, I urge you to hire a certified arborist (NOT a landscaper) to prune it. The good news is that since your tree will grow very slowly, you won’t have to have it pruned very often.
Plant Lover Facts
Like most plants, Texas ebony has more than one common name. I find a few of its alternate names a little odd — black-bead ebony, ebony blackhead, and ebony ape’s earring.
Texas ebony wood is very dense and prized for its woodworking qualities. The woody pods can be ground and used as a coffee substitute.
Have you grown this plant?
Was it a “hit” or a “miss” in your garden?
Please share your experience in the comments below!
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Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for 15 years.
Photo Credits
Sonnia Hill, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
wlcutler, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
We are a transplant from MN, we have a Texas ebony in our front yard which just went into full bloom, we have live in Peoria for 23 years after building a new home. No clue about AZ trees and its climate which is rapidly changing so relied on our landscaper , well the ebony has been unaffected by whatever Mother Earth sends us, frost ,heat and drought never affected the tree. Today I observed the bees appear to enjoying the bloom. Be warned, heavy gloves and long sleeve shirt if reaching in to remove dead branches, has a wicked defense.