Town of Flower Mound, Texas - Environmental Resources

2121 Cross Timbers Road
Flower Mound, Texas 75028
972.874.6000

For service requests or questions, email
townhall@flower-mound.com
or call 972.539.SERV. After hours, please call 972.539.0525.

Environmental Resources

Urban Forestry

Trees and forests serve many functions in our urban environment. Trees not only provide beauty when used around our homes, offices, and in our parks, but they also serve practical functions. For example, trees help to clean the air that we breathe. They also provide energy savings by cooling the air around our homes and businesses in the summer and by serving as wind buffers in the winter. Forests, both in upland settings and located along streams, serve to mitigate runoff from storm events, reduce erosion by stabilizing soil, and provide habitat for wildlife.

The Town of Flower Mound’s Urban Forestry Program has multiple goals. The first is to establish rules and regulations governing the protection and preservation of native or established trees within the town. Another function of this program is to encourage the protection of healthy trees and large native trees which are irreplaceable resources in our community, and to provide for the replacement of trees removed during construction. Finally, the Town’s Urban Forestry Program serves to educate both the residents of Flower Mound and the development community about the important role that trees serve in our environment.

The Right Tree For The Right Place

Acorns to Oaks

Native Tree Brochure

Current Tree Ordinance

Tree Ordinance for sites platted before Oct. 6, 2008

Cross Timbers Wooded Regions Shaped North Texas History

Characteristics of the Cross Timbers Region

Dutch Elm Disease - Download Presentation about Dutch Elm Disease

Dutch Elm Disease (DED) is caused by a fungus that affects Elm trees. The American elm is the most susceptible to this disease, with cedar elm being only moderately susceptible. This disease prevents elm trees from transmitting water from the roots to the crown and eventually causes them to wilt and die. The disease progresses through infected trees very rapidly. A specimen showing early symptoms of the disease will typically die within six to eight weeks.

The disease spreads in two ways - insect vectors and root grafts. The North American Elm Bark Beetle and the European Elm Bark Beetle are the two insects that typically spread the fungus from tree to tree. The European beetle, which can travel approximately 2000 feet in their lifetime, is the most prominent in Flower Mound. It is not uncommon for two generations of the beetles to emerge in a typical growing season. In theory, it is possible for the beetles to spread the disease several thousand feet in a growing season. The beetles live and breed under the bark, and they usually target weak or stressed trees. This is why any known diseased trees should be removed and properly disposed of so the beetles don’t have a place to breed. Removal of non-infected, yet stressed trees, is also recommended.

The second way the disease spreads is through root grafts. Roots of trees in close proximity tend to touch and overlap. These roots commonly graft together and share nutrients and water. The grafts can also allow the fungus to move from one tree into another. In cases where several elm trees are located in close proximity, the disease will continue spreading until all of the trees are infected. If one tree is not showing signs of the disease, it is possible to save that tree by severing the root grafts and removing the infected trees; although, this is challenging and should be done quickly after the infected trees are identified.

At this time, it is important that the infected trees are identified and removed to reduce the spread of the beetles. Very little research has been conducted regarding Dutch elm disease in Texas and little is known about how the disease will progress through the state. Early observations indicate that the disease is not slowing down, and is causing damage on both public and private land. For more information, please contact the Town of Flower Mound’s Environmental Resources division at 972.874.6352.

The Right Tree For The Right Place

There are a few simple factors to take into consideration when planting trees on or around your property.

1. What is the tree’s purpose?

· Shade
· Aesthetics
· Windbreak
· Screening
· Boundaries or Buffers

Many people plant trees for different reasons. As a potential tree planter one of the most important steps of tree selection is the identification of what you want your tree to do. This step will be essential in the selection process as it may actually dictate the species of tree that you purchase.

2. Size and location.

A common mistake made by many tree planters is that they forget to anticipate what the tree’s size and shape will be at maturity. A few considerations should be taken into account at this step. Consider the height, crown spread, and root space needed by the tree. If these issues are addressed, it may prevent the development of future problems for the tree and the homeowner.

3. Crown form or shape.

The crown of a tree is dictated by species and growing condition. The shape of the crown should be considered when you are in the planning stage. There are five different identifiable crown shapes.

· Round (White Oak)
· Oval (Sugar Maple)
· Columnar (Lombardy Popular)
· V-shaped (Hackberry-Sugarberry)
· Pyramidal (Bald Cypress)

Taking these considerations into account will help you succeed in planting The Right Tree in The Right Place.