Depends on how big your yard is, but I have a shumard oak in my front yard that I planted 25 years ago. Even though my lot is small, I keep the canopy pruned and raised and it's doing great.

Go to Monrovia.com You can plug in all your parameters and get good choices. Calloway's sells mostly Monrovia products.

Here's a link to Texas SmartScape. It may give you some ideas, too. Dittos to taking your lot size into consideration.

Here is a link that might be useful: Texas SmartScape

I highly recommend Chambersville Tree Farm if you live close enough to it. The trees grown in specialized container have excellent root system. It's worth the money compared to horrible root system else where for large trees. Fall planting is best time to plant so you have a couple months to figure out what you want. Check out www.rootmaker.com and see why how they develop superior root system compared to conventional ways that you see everywhere.

www.chambersvilletreefarms.com
7032 CR 971
Celina, TX 75009

(888) 799-6832 Toll Free
(214) 295-1058 Local Sales Office

The shade tree of choice for developers seems to remain the southern live oak, despite alarms about oak wilt disease. On commercial properties, however, and in established residential areas, I'm seeing a preference for the Monterrey oak (the type with oblong leaves.) My neighbor (who'd rather be beat with a rusty chain than water plants) set out a couple several years ago, and they have grown quite rapidly. Hardy to zone 7, I believe.

I had planted three Texas Ash trees. They are doing wonderfully well. I don't recall the exact size of the container grown trees when they were planted, but they were larger than the 15 gallon size. I lucked out and got them for 1/2 price at a nursery that was going out of business.

Shantung maple.. (check out www.metromaples.com for more info)
Texas Ash...
Mexican White Oak (fast growing semi-evergreen oak in Dallas area)
Montezuma Cypress (faster growing semi-evergreen sister of bald cypress)
Bald cypress (preferably central Texas seed source if possible)
Shumard red oak
Texas Red oak (smaller with nicer and better fall color leaves than shumard but hard to find)
Bur oak..
Cedar Elm
Lackbark elm
Caddo Maple
Bigtooth Maple
Live Oak

AVOID bradford pears (and any other pear sisters) and Silver Maple.