Hi Mark,

You have quite a few options for drought-tolerant trees.

Some things to consider though:

First, you will definitely need to provide the tree supplemental water in the first year to several years after planting, depending on the size of the tree at planting.  Smaller trees establish more quickly (ie, you would need to provide supplemental water to a 1" caliper tree for fewer years than a 2" caliper tree).  A tree growing in dry conditions will also grow more slowly than one with regular water.

Second, Bermuda grass is not tolerant of shade.  Having a tree in your Bermuda grass lawn will eventually cause problems for the lawn, since it will be shaded out by whatever tree you plant.  You could try to position the tree in such a way to prevent too much shade to the lawn to avoid this.

For tree options, several large shade trees that are quite tolerant of drought include hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), Kentucky coffee (Gymnocladus dioicus), Bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa), and 'Sensation' boxelder (Acer negundo 'Sensation')--a male clone that does not attract box elder bugs nor seed around.

Small tree options include Russian Hawthorn (Crataegus ambigua), Hop-tree (Ptelea trifoliata), tree lilac (Syringa pekinensis), and Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii).  

I hope this is helpful!

Cordially,

John

Hi Mark,

Shrubs would be a great option--you can find a list of drought-tolerant shrubs (and trees) in this fact sheet if you're interested: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/xeriscaping-trees-and-shrubs-7-229/

Good luck!

John