Developers of Cane Island, the city of Katy's first master-planned community, have begun planting the first of nearly 2,000 trees inside of the development, officials said.

The trees will be planted in three phases: 1,000 ahead of the community's grand opening in spring 2015, 400 to 500 to be planted in in 2015 and nearly 400 in 2016. The trees will be a mixture of live oaks, water oaks, pines and crepe myrtles, said Rusty Regenbrecht, president of Regenbrecht Shade Trees.

"When it comes to trees, the development team is going all out," Regenbrecht said. "They wanted a wooded community look and that's exactly what they're getting."

The new trees will average between 15-20 feet tall and will be irrigated by water trucks until a permanent irrigation system is installed in the community, Regenbrecht said.

David Marks, president of Environmental Design, the firm responsible for transplanting the trees, said 23 decades-old live oaks found on the east side of the development will be transplanted to surround the community's amenity village. The village will house two pools, a two-story fitness center and a multipurpose room among other amenities.

The transplanted trees, ranging from 25-30 years old and 30-45 feet tall, will be monitored by a certified arborist for several years to ensure they thrive in their new settings, Marks said.