Dear Chisholm Customer,
The Board of Directors, General Manager, and staff welcomes you as a customer of Chisholm Trail Special Utility District.
Chisholm Trail began in the early 1980s, as a Water Supply Corporation, serving about 1,000 customers. By 1993, Chisholm transitioned into a special utility district and is a political subdivision of the State of Texas. The District covers approximately 377 square miles of rolling hills-rocky terrain from the South San Gabriel River in Williamson County to the Lampasas River in Bell County and from IH 35 to the Williamson/Burnet County Line.
Today, Chisholm serves approximately 5,800 water customers, and we are experiencing an unprecedented demand for water, along with high subdivision growth. This demand is primarily due to our customer base evolving from a rural water user to an urban water user, i.e., more landscaped/irrigated lawns and gardens. We are always looking for the least expensive source of water but we also need to call on our customers to help us conserve water. With higher summer water demands, the District experiences an increase in energy bills, higher water losses and, more importantly, lawn irrigation doubles our customers’ water use.
Please help us reign in our increase in water consumption, which will keep your water rates and bills lower. Just as we conserve energy with higher gasoline prices, it is imperative that we do the same with our water consumption.
We appreciate your need for green lawns, and we want you to enjoy the use of water, so enclosed is a list of “Do’s for Creating A Drought Tolerant Landscape”. If you are a new homeowner who is installing a landscape please consider these simple, but water smart tips, when designing your landscape. Following these guidelines will help minimize your water bills. If you are an existing water customer, you may want to consider implementing some of these ideas to help conserve water and reduce your water consumption/bill.
Chisholm Trail S.U.D.
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| Bur Oak |
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1 Bur Oak
(Quercus macrocarpa)
This is a native tree to central Texas. It will reach a height of 75’-100’. The canopy for this tree can spread 50’ or more. Bur Oak love sun to part shade, is deciduous and is most showy in the fall when the leaves turn yellow or rust color. This is a drought tolerant tree requiring water occasionally during very dry conditions. Prune for shape or to raise canopy. This is a large, majestic, very adaptable tree. Moderate growth rate; susceptible to powdery mildew.
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| Texas Red Oak |
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| 2 Texas Red Oak
(Quercus texana or Quercus buckleyi)
This is a native tree to central Texas. It will reach a height of 15’-30’ with a canopy spread of 15’-30’. This tree likes sun to part shade, is deciduous with bright red/orange fall foliage. This is a drought tolerant tree requiring water occasionally during very dry conditions. Tree is well adapted to rocky soils but is susceptible to oak wilt.
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| Crape Myrtle |
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| 3 Crape Myrtle
(Lagerstroemia indica)
This is not a native tree but does extremely well in central Texas. These trees can grow from 12’-25’ with a canopy spread between 10’-20’. They do best in full sun but will tolerate some shade. The trees are deciduous with blooms in late spring that last through most of the summer. Prune for shape or to raise canopy. Don’t chop tops but do keep suckers cut. Crape Myrtles have showy white, pink, lavender flowers with varied fall foliage. Always choose a mildew-resistant variety named after Native American tribes, e.g. Sioux, Natches, Hopi; trees need good air flow; note mature size when selecting variety; dwarf varieties are available. Aphids can be a problem with this tree. Water this tree thoroughly every
2-4 weeks during dry conditions
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| Desert Willow |
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4 Desert Willow
(Chilopsis linearis)
The desert willow is a native plant to central Texas. This tree will grow between 15’-25’ with a canopy spread between 15’-20’. This is a deciduous tree with spring to fall flowers in white, pink or burgundy. The desert willow can take full sun or some shade. Prune for shape or to raise canopy; remove suckers. Tree produces trumpet-shaped 3” flowers; needs well-drained site; airy foliage casts a light shade for under plantings. This is a dry tolerant tree requiring water occasionally during dry conditions. It attracts butterflies and bees but is deer resistant.
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| Texas Mountain Laurel |
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5 Mountain Laurel, Texas
(Sophora secundiflora)
This is a native tree to central Texas. Mountain Laurel will grow from 10’-20’ with a canopy spread of 8’-10’. This tree grows in full sun to part shade, is an evergreen with purple flowers in the spring. Prune for shape only or to raise canopy. Showy flowers with strong grape bubble gum fragrance; poisonous seeds; needs good drainage; occasional caterpillar problems. This is a dry tolerant plant requiring water occasionally during dry conditions. This is a deer resistant tree.
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| Cotoneaster |
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| 6 Cotoneaster
(Cotoneaster sp.)
The cotoneaster is a shrub that grows 3’-5’ in height and spreads out 4’-6’. This plant does well in sun to part shade, is an evergreen with red berries. Prune for a natural look, shaping not necessary. Silver-gray to dark green foliage; attractive fleshy berries; susceptible to fire blight and spider mites. Plants need a thorough watering every 2-3 weeks if no rain fall. This is a deer resistant plant.
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| Elaeagnus |
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| 7 Elaeagnus
(Elaeagnus pungens)
The Elaeagnus grows 15’ in height and can spread up to 8’ in diameter. These plants love the sun and in late fall produce a silver-white flower. Gray, olive, leaves; medium-fast grower; prefers well drained soil; large plant can be controlled with pruning. Long suckers require frequent pruning in a confined space. This plant is drought tolerate needing a thorough watering occasionally during dry conditions.
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| Esperanza (Yellow Bells) |
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| 8 Esperanza - Yellow Bells
(Tecoma stans)
Esperanza grows from 3’-4’ and can spread up to 3’-4’ in diameter. The plant does extremely well in full sun but can take some late afternoon shade. This is a deciduous shrub that blooms late spring through fall. Showy yellow or orange flowers; native type has narrow leaves; blooms even when small; several varieties are available. Remove spent blooms; prune to a 3” height after first frost then mulch base of plant. This plant needs thorough watering every 2-4 weeks in dry conditions.
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| Dwarf Yaupon Holly |
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| 9 Dwarf Yaupon Holly
(Ilex vomitoria ‘Nana’)
This plant grows from 2’-4’ and can spread up to 2’-4’ in diameter. This plant does well in sun to part shade, is an evergreen with little pruning necessary to keep its shape. Low, mounding shrub; maintains a formal shape. This is dry tolerant plant requiring water only during dry conditions. This is a deer resistant plant.
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| Primrose Jasmine |
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| 10 Primrose Jasmine
(Jasminum mesnyi)
This plant grows up to 6’ and can spread 15’ in diameter. This plant loves sun to part shade, is an evergreen with yellow flowers in early spring to summer. Prune for a natural look, shaping not necessary; can be a hedge. Can be used for hanging over walls or cliffs; good for erosion control; very few blooms after spring. The plant requires a thorough watering occasionally during dry conditions. A deer resistant plant.
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| Lantana |
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| 11 Lantana
(Lantana horrida)
This is a native plant to central Texas. Lantana can grow between 3’-5’ and spread up to 4’-5’. They love full sun and bloom from summer to fall. This is a care-free flower that gives any Texas landscape good varied color throughout the growing season. The trailing varieties can be used as groundcover and all varieties tolerate poor, dry sites. Prune back in winter as desired to keep in bounds; use rock mulch or crushed granite for a showy and colorful presentation. This plant has many hybrids that come in many different colors. Most popular is the ‘new gold’, ‘silver mound’ or white flower. Other colors are red, pink, purple and light butter yellow. This is a hardy flower for a Texas garden and provides good color through the season. Give this plant lots of room; attracts butterflies and is very deer resistant.
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| Dwarf Nandina |
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| 12 Dwarf Nandina
(Nandina domestica ‘Compacta nana’/”Gulf Stream”)
This plant will grow 2’-3’ in height and can spread up to 2’ in diameter. This pant does well in sun or shade, is an evergreen and has colorful burgundy foliage in cool weather. Prune older foliage to promote new low growth. Choose dwarf-non-berrying varieties ONLY; tall berrying types are invasive; may be choleric in high pH soils. This plant requires thorough watering occasionally during dry conditions. A deer resistant plant.
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| Plum Delight of Chinese Fringe Flower |
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| 13 Plum Delight of Chinese Fringe Flower
(Loropetalum chinense)
This is not a native plant but does extremely well in central Texas. This plant grows to a height of 6’-10’ and reaches a diameter of 5’. Plum Delights grow best in sun to partial shade. In early spring a burst of tiny pink flowers coat the plant; is a fast growing evergreen shrub with brilliant burgundy foliage. Will re-bloom in late fall. Great for mass plantings, as a natural hedge or as a topiary specimen. This is not a drought tolerant plant and prefers constant moisture in soil. Prune after spring flowering to maintain shape. Can be made into a small tree. A deer resistant plant.
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| Rock Rose |
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| 14 Rock Rose
(Pavonia lasiopetala)
This is a native plant to central Texas. Rock Roses can grow up to 2’ in height and spread in diameter to 3’. This plant does well in sun to part shade, is deciduous, blooms in summer. Prune back by 1/3 in late winter; trim shoots growing out of desired area. Small shrub with small hibiscus-like pink or white blooms; more prone to powdery mildew in shade; very few blooms after early summer; reseeds freely; attracts butterflies. This plant is dry tolerant requiring water occasionally in dry conditions. This plant is deer resistant.
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| Rosemary |
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| 15 Rosemary
(Rosmarinus officinalis)
This plant will grow 4’ in height and spread in diameter to 4’-6’. This plant loves sun, is an evergreen, flowers are pale blue and bloom off and on all year. Prune for natural look, or shape as desired; cut back by 1/2” in winter to prevent leggy look. This is an excellent culinary herb. There are a variety of shapes. Some grow upright and some grow trailing or prostrate. Good drainage required; prone to disease problems in wet conditions. Attracts butterflies and is very deer resistant.
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| Southern Wax Myrtle |
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16 Southern Wax Myrtle
(Myrica cerifera)
This is not a native plant but does very well in central Texas. Wax Myrtles grow 10’-12’ in height and can spread up to 15’. They do well in sun to part shade and are an evergreen. Prune for shape only and/or to raise canopy. Fast-growing screen; grows best in deeper soils; wildlife food; root suckers; foliage aromatic when crushed; dwarf varieties available. You will need to water this plant thoroughly every 2-3 weeks if no rainfall. Wax Myrtles attract butterflies and bees and are deer resistant.
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| San Jose Juniper |
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| 17 San Jose Juniper
(J chinensis ‘Hetzii’)
This unusual shrub grows 10’-12’ in height and can spread up to 8’-10’ in diameter.
It is an evergreen with fountain-like branching and deep green foliage. It can be used as groundcover, has fine-textured, needle-like foliage ranging from dark green to bright green. Junipers tolerate cold, heat, and are drought tolerant. They love sun and are one of our most durable landscape plants. They require good drainage and, for that reason, they may suffer root damage in plantings in areas with high water tables. They are susceptible to spider mites and bagworms. Pruning not necessary for a natural look. This is a very deer resistant plant.
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| Texas Sage |
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| 18 Texas Sage
(Cenizo or Leucophyllum frutescens)
The Texas Sage can grow 4’-5’ in height and 4’-5’ in diameter. This plant loves full sun and blooms in spring to summer. Prune for a natural look, shaping not necessary; don’t shear this plant! Gray leaves contrast with lavender flowers; green-leaved varieties also available; blooms off and on through the growing season; needs good drainage and is a very dry tolerant plant. Flowers more in humid weather. A deer resistant plant.
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| Red Yucca |
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| 19 Red Yucca
(Hesperaloe parviflora)
This is a native plant to central Texas. They reach a height from 2’-4’ and can spread up to 2’-4’. An evergreen that blooms from spring to summer with coral spiked flowers. Remove old bloom stalk at the base. May colonize; the deer will eat their blooms but not the foliage. This plant requires very little water. Occasionally water during dry conditions. Hummingbirds are attracted to this plant.
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| Knockout Rose |
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| 20 Knockout Rose
(Rosa ‘Knock Out’)
This is a ‘new’ plant for central Texas gardens. This small 3’ shrub adds beautiful red or pink color from spring to frost. This is a semi-deciduous plant that thrives in the Texas sun. Prune back by 1/3 in late winter, remove spent blooms to encourage repeat blooms. Plant is disease resistant but not deer resistant.
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| Prickly Pear |
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| 21 Prickly Pear
(Opuntia engelmanniivar, lindheimeri)
This is a native plant to central Texas. It’s one of the most adaptive shrubs requiring little care or maintenance. They grow 3’-4’ in height and spread to about 3’. They love full sun, bloom yellow flowers in late spring to summer. This plant does best when left undisturbed; use rock mulch for the best presentation. Prickly pear plants like well-drained alkaline soil; pest resistant and the purple fruit are edible.
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| Cherry Salvia |
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| 22 Salvia, Cherry
(Salvia greggii)
This is a native plant to central Texas. Salvias grow from 2’-3’ in height and spread to about 2’-3’. They do well in full sun or part shade. They are an evergreen and will bloom red, pink, white or coral from spring to frost. You only need to water this plant occasionally during very dry conditions. Cut back by a third after summer bloom cycle. The greggii have 1 inch blooms that attract hummingbirds and bees all summer long. They can get leggy if not trimmed. A deer resistant plant.
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| Indigo Spires |
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| 23 Indigo Spires
(Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’)
The indigo spires grow 3’ in height and have a plant span of 5’. This plant loves sun to part shade and is deciduous. Showy blue and purple flowers throughout the spring and summer season. Shear back by 1/3 inch mid-summer for another burst of fall color. Allow room to mound and spread and water thoroughly during dry conditions. This is a deer resistant plant.
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| Pink Skullcap |
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| 24 Pink Skullcap
(Scutellaria suffrutescens)
This small shrub grows to only about 1’ but will spread out to a diameter of 2’. They enjoy sun or part shade, deciduous and blooms dark pink flowers all summer. Prune top ½” at end of May, and to a 3” height after first frost browns leaves. Low growing; very tidy, mounding plant that attracts bees and butterflies. This is a deer resistant plant.
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| Plumbago |
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| 25 Plumbago
(Plumbago auriculata)
Plumbagos grow to be about 4’ tall and can spread about 6’ in diameter. This plant does extremely well in sun with late afternoon shade. Light green foliage with showy sky blue or white flowers. Blooms all summer long until first frost. Prune top ½” at end of May, and to a 3” height after first frost browns leaves. You need to water this plant thoroughly every 3-4 weeks if no rainfall. Plumbagos attract hummingbirds and are a deer resistant perennial.
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| Red Bird of Paradise Poinciana |
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| 26 Pride of Barbados
(Pride of Barbados, Casalpinia pulcherrima)
The Pride of Barbados reaches a height of 4’ and will spread in diameter up to 6’. This plant does well in full sun and has showy red/orange and yellow flowers throughout the summer. It will freeze back in winter. The seeds are toxic and the foliage has a fine textured fern-like characteristic. Prune for shape only; mulch to prevent winter kill of the roots. This plant requires a thorough watering 3-4 weeks if no rainfall. A very deer resistant plant.
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| Pampas Grass |
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| 27 Pampas Grass
(Pennisetum alopecuroides)
Pampas grass grows up to 6’ in height and can spread up to 4’-5’ in diameter. An elegant weeping form with blade like foliage. They like sun to part shade. The base foliage may need to be pruned about 2’ in early spring due to winter kill. Showy white plumes in the fall give this plant a unique look in any garden. They need a thorough watering every 2-3 weeks if no rainfall .
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| Deer Muhly |
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| 28 Deer Muhly
(Muhlenbergia rigens)
Deer Muhly grow in height of about 1’ and will spread about 1’. They do well in full sun, are deciduous and need to be pruned back prior to new spring growth. This is a dense clump grass that maintains a round shape, attracts bees and butterflies and is very deer resistant.
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| Purple Fountain Grass |
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| 29 Purple Fountain Grass
(Pennisetum)
Purple Fountain Grass grows to about 3-1/2’ and will spread about 3’in diameter. This plant does best in full sun, prefers well-drained and moist soil but will tolerate every other week watering. This spectacular ornamental grass makes a vivid accent in any garden. The glossy foliage grows upright and its flowers emerge in June as soft red-purple plumes. Very showy in a masse or in group plantings. Cut back after first frost to about 6” and mulch well at base of plant. A deer resistant plant.
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| Asian Jasmine |
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| 30 Asian Jasmine
(Trachelospernum)
This is a vine groundcover that grows 10”-18” in height and has runners up to 20’-25’. Does best in shade but will tolerate some sun. This is an evergreen vine and needs to be maintained within its borders. Will climb trees, suppresses weeds; can be invasive, do not plant near preserves. Deer will eat this plant.
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| Bermuda |
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| 31 Bermuda
(‘Tif 419’ ‘Common Bermuda’)
Bermuda grass grows best in full sun, is light green in color, and requires water every 2 weeks if no rainfall. Mow ‘Tif’ twice a week to a height of 1-1 ½”; mow ‘Common Bermuda’ once a week to 2-2 ½”. Can be planted from seed or sod; can be invasive in nearby flower beds and whenever seed is transported; requires higher maintenance.
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| Buffalo |
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| 32 Buffalo
(‘609’)
This is a Texas native grass. Buffalo grass grows best in full sun, light green in color and requires little watering during summer months. If growing season is especially dry this grass will go dormant until rainfall. It’s hard to kill. Mow to a height of 1-1 ½” or leave un-mowed for a shaggy look. Can be planted from sod or seed; be sure to have a weed free soil at planting time to prevent future weed problems; extremely drought tolerant but will turn brown without moisture. Susceptible to weeds if not maintained.
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| St. Augustine |
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| 33 St. Augustine
(‘Raleigh’; ‘Delmar’)
St. Augustine grows in sun or shade, is green in color but has the highest water requirements. Mow once a week to a height of 2-2 ½” in the sun and 3” in the shade. Plant from sod or plugs; most shade tolerant of grasses, course texture. Avoid planting in full sun due to the higher water demands; ‘Raleigh’ is most disease-prone variety and ‘Delmar’ is the best in shade.
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| Zoysia |
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| 34 Zoysia
(‘Palisades’)
Zoysia grass grows well in sun to part shade and is light green in color. Requires watering every 2 weeks if no rainfall. Mow at least once a week to a height of 1-1 ½”. This grass is extremely dense and can make mowing difficult; cut short at first spring mowing to make easier; medium blade varieties such as ‘Japonica’, ‘Jamur’, ‘El Toro’ and ‘Palisades’ recommended; plant from sod only.
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