Seasonal Yard Care

When Do Leaves Fall in San Antonio? (And When to Clean Them Up)

May 22, 2026 8 min read
When Do Leaves Fall in San Antonio? (And When to Clean Them Up)

Howdy, San Antonio! Peyton Johnson here from Recover Landscape. I get a lot of folks asking me, "Peyton, when do leaves fall in San Antonio, TX?" And usually, they're expecting to hear about autumn, just like up north. But here in our beautiful corner of Texas, things are a little different, especially when it comes to those iconic live oaks.

If you've lived here for a while, you know our seasons don't always play by the traditional rules. That's especially true for leaf drop. Understanding when our local trees shed their leaves is key to knowing the best leaf cleanup timing San Antonio residents should follow to keep their yards looking sharp.

The San Antonio Leaf Drop Timeline: It's Not Always Fall!

Let's dive into the specifics of when our most common San Antonio trees decide to let go of their foliage. It might surprise you!

When Do Live Oaks Drop Leaves in SA?

This is the big one, and it's where San Antonio truly stands apart. Unlike deciduous trees that lose their leaves in the fall, our beloved Live Oaks are evergreen, but they do shed their old leaves to make way for new growth. And when do live oaks drop leaves SA? Typically, this happens from February through April. Yes, you read that right – late winter and early spring! They'll hold onto their leaves all through the fall and winter, then push them off as the new, vibrant green leaves emerge. This is why you might be raking leaves in March while your friends up north are just seeing their first spring blooms.

What About Other San Antonio Trees?

While live oaks are the main event, we have other beautiful trees that follow a more traditional, or slightly varied, schedule:

  • Pecan Trees: These beauties give us delicious nuts and a more classic fall leaf drop. You can expect pecan leaf drop from November through December. This is usually when you'll see those golden-brown leaves carpeting yards, signaling a more traditional autumn cleanup.
  • Cedar Elms: Another common sight, cedar elms typically shed their leaves earlier in the fall, from October through November. They're often among the first to show those lovely yellow hues before dropping their leaves.
  • Mesquite Trees: These native trees are a bit more unpredictable, often shedding leaves in late fall or early winter, but sometimes holding onto them longer depending on the weather.
  • Why San Antonio Leaf Cleanup is Different from Northern States

    If you've ever moved here from a colder climate, you've probably noticed that our

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