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Flowering trees are one of the most wonderful signs that spring has arrived, and they make enchanting additions to the yard. Some flowering trees grow tall and wide enough to act as privacy trees too. Flowering trees play an important role in a garden design, providing bursts of spring color long before the rest of the garden is awake. They allow the beholder to enjoy their lovely blooms and sweet fragrance without having to be at ground level. And once all the blooms are finished, their brilliant floral display gives way to interesting leaf shapes, colorful berries, and vibrant fall color. Flowering trees are also a long-lasting investment.
Availability is ever changing, so we may or may not have specific plants in stock that are shown here.
The Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a relatively small deciduous tree that produces pink and dark magenta flowers from spring until summer. Eastern Redbuds produce flowers before the leaves appear on the trees.
Masses of small rosy-pink flowers create a dazzling display of flower clusters on the redbud tree. Although Eastern Redbud trees are famous for their pink flowers, there are also some species that produce white flowers. The thin flower-covered branches grow in all directions to give the tree a truly dramatic look. Redbud trees have heart-shaped leaves, and dark maroon or brown seedpods. In summer redbud leaves are green and then become yellow, orange or red during autumn.
You can expect an eastern redbud to grow to between 20 and 30 ft. and with a spread of up to 33 ft. For smaller gardens, choose a smaller dwarf tree such as the ‘Ace of Hearts’ that only grows to 9 ft. tall. Redbuds grow well in zones 5 – 9.
Redbud trees thrive when planted in full sun or partial shade. This colorful tree, with its rounded crown, requires regular watering and well-draining soil. Its spectacular pink flowers blossom best in full sun. In hot climates, plant redbud trees in partial shade for best results.
Dogwoods (Cornus spp.) include a large group of flowering shrubs and woody trees within the genus Cornus. These plants are known for providing year-round interest, from early spring flowers and summer berries to brilliant fall colors. Some species even have colorful stems that offer winter appeal.
When the soil is moist in the early spring or late fall is the best time to plant dogwood trees for the best results. Dogwoods are low-maintenance, easy-care trees and usually bloom in either their first or second year without much intervention.
Flowering dogwood is a small deciduous tree that blooms with white, pink, or red flowers in early spring. When many people think of dogwoods, this is the plant they envision; it's the most popular and one of the most beautiful dogwood trees. Flowering dogwood has a low-branching habit with a flattish crown. Dark green leaves, 3 to 6 inches long, turn an attractive red in fall. This is a good specimen tree for a location with acidic soil and afternoon shade.
Also known as Chinese dogwood, Korean dogwood, or Japanese dogwood, the kousa dogwood is another popular variety. This small dogwood tree variety is deciduous or a multi-stemmed shrub. It produces an abundant display of yellowish-green flowers in spring and pinkish-red berries in summer. Fall color is purplish to red. This shrub has tan or gray bark that has a mottled, exfoliating texture that can be quite attractive in winter. Lower branches should be pruned away to enhance the appearance of the bark.
Hawthorn trees (Crataegus) are sun-lovers, but they are not fussy about soil type or drainage.
Hawthorn, (genus Crataegus), also called thornapple, quickthorn, May-tree, whitethorn, Mayflower or hawberry is a large genus of (usually) thorny shrubs or small trees in the rose family (Rosaceae), native to the north temperate zone. Many species are common to North America, and a number of cultivated varieties are grown as an ornamental for their attractive flowers and fruits.
Hawthorn grows in full sun and part shade but for the best fruit production plant in full sun. The plant is also adaptable to a wide range of soil conditions but prefers moist, well-drained loamy soils. Hawthorn is also very tolerant of urban pollution and grows well in urban landscapes. Some cultivars are tolerant of drought and flooding.
Crataegus laevigata, "Paul's Scarlet", in mid to late spring, a profusion of double petaled blossoms, scarlet to rose in color, along the branches provide a spectacular spring floral display. The foliage develops no appreciable fall color.
Grows up to 18-25 ft tall and 15-20 ft wide. Requires only minimal pruning in late winter or early spring, to remove damaged, diseased or misplaced growth.
The Hibiscus syriacus (common name: Rose of Sharon) is a large hardy shrub that grows in northern climates. The multi-stemmed shrub can be trained to grow as a tree with a single trunk. Although best growing in the ground, smaller hibiscus trees can grow in pots.
Regardless of variety, hibiscus flowers are very attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds.
The soil in which the Hibiscus thrives on is moist but well-drained, and organically rich. Hibiscus syriacus is highly tolerant of air pollution, heat, humidity, poor soil and drought. . Most hibiscus prefer a slightly acidic soil pH, but the Rose of Sharon is tolerant of alkaline conditions. The color of hibiscus flowers can be affected by the soil acidity level. The plant can bloom continuously from July through September.
All hibiscus are thirsty plants that need to be kept moist. For container-grown plants, ensure the top inch or so of potting mix dries out fully before watering—saturated soil is also problematic, and make sure containers have adequate drainage holes.
Depending on the conditions, you might need to water your hibiscus daily to help it produce an abundance of blooms.
Rose of Sharon and hardy hibiscus can grow in cool, temperate climates. They thrive in high humidity and temperatures from 60 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit but can handle temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit. When temperatures drop below 30 degrees Fahrenheit and frost is a risk, bring container-grown plants indoors.
The common Crape Myrtle is a deciduous, small to medium sized shrub or small tree with a variable, moderately dense habit, often multi-stemmed form.
The showy pink (other color variations available) flowers have wrinkled petals like crepe paper. The foliage is dark green changing in fall to yellows, oranges, and reds. The thin gray bark is exfoliating, exposing a smooth, vary-colored under bark ranging from brown to gray. It needs plenty of moisture when young. After it is established it will tolerate drought and grow well in limited soil spaces. During the growing season, new growth can be pinched to increase flower number and branchiness. The branches will droop as the tree grows. The lower branches are often thinned to show off the trunk form and color. Late winter is the best time to prune a crepe myrtle because it's leafless, and you can easily see all the branches. It also blooms on new growth, so pruning in winter won't reduce blooming; it may increase it. February is the ideal month to prune.
The Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia) can be expected to grow in Hardiness Zones 6–9. The common Crape Myrtle grows to a height of 15–25' and a spread of 6–15' at maturity. This shrub grows at a fast rate, with height increases of more than 24" per year. Full sun is the ideal condition for this shrub, meaning it should get at least 6 hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day.
The common Crape Myrtle grows in a wide range of soils from slightly alkaline to acidic. It prefers moist, well-drained sites but has some drought tolerance.
Magnolia is a remarkably diverse genus of plants that includes many species suitable for colder climates. Magnolia trees are generally known for having large, leathery leaves and impressive white or pink flowers that appear very early in spring—often before the leaves even emerge. Magnolias can be evergreen or deciduous, depending on where they are growing. Some species are multi-stemmed shrubby plants, while others are classic upright trees that are quite massive in size. Some species change their growth habits depending on climate and environment.
Flowering magnolias are known to be especially fragrant. Though a magnolia tree is not fast-growing, your patience will be well-rewarded.
Magnolias are not hard to grow, and they are somewhat unique among flowering trees and shrubs in their tolerance for shady conditions. But if you are planning to plant them in your yard, magnolia trees grow best in moist but well-drained soil that is slightly acidic, but a range of pH levels offer suitable growing conditions for them. A spring feeding of slow-release fertilizer is best to help magnolia trees flourish.
Crabapple trees (botanical name Malus) are like miniature apple trees (Malus domestica). The smallest crabapple trees can be small shrub-like bushes around 4 ft. (1.2 m) tall. Larger crabapples can grow to between 20 and 30 ft. (6 – 9 m). Most crabapple trees thrive in zones USDA 4 through 8. However, some cultivars are cold-hardy to zones 2 or 3.
The most attractive aspect of crabapple trees is their delightful spring blossoms. The wide, spreading branches are covered in various pastel shade flowers. The bark of crabapple trees is gray with a scaly appearance.
Crabapples are much smaller fruits than regular apples and generally have a tarter taste compared to regular apples. Crabapple trees produce fruits that are generally up to 2” (5 cm) in diameter. Traditional apple trees produce fruits that are larger than 2” (5 cm) in diameter. Crabapple fruits can have a wide range of colors such as yellow, amber, orange, red or purple. Crabapple fruits are about the size of golf balls or smaller. However, they can grow on the tree like clusters of small berries.
Crabapple flowers have five or more small oval petals that can form single or double blooms. The magnificent floral crabapple displays in spring can be blooms of whites, pinks, reds, or purples—with many hues and shades in between.
Here are some of the best crabapple tree varieties that produce colorful flowers every spring:
A very popular ornamental landscape tree, Prunus cerasifera (Cherry plum) is a medium-sized, round-headed deciduous tree with a striking presence in the landscape, whether in bloom or not. This plum tree boasts some of the darkest purple leaves and twigs. Emerging light bronze-purple in spring, the serrate, elliptic leaves turn dark reddish-purple in the summer before turning attractive red shades in fall.
Opening from deep pink buds in mid-spring, masses of sweetly fragrant, single, white to pale pink flowers smother the bare branches and create terrific floral display. The dark colored leaves appear while the pale pink flowers are still open that creates a nice contrast. In some varieties, blossoms give way to small purple and edible fruit that attract birds and other wildlife.
Grows up to 15-20 ft. tall and wide. Prunus cerasifera performs best in full sun or part shade in moist, moderately fertile, well-drained soils. The best color is obtained in full sun.
Prune after flowering to keep the tree vigorous.
Flowering Cherry Trees are ornamental trees; they do not produce fruit. Ornamental cherries are flowering cherry trees that are grown for their springtime floral displays. These cherry trees are symbols of beauty, renewal, and change. All over the world these majestic trees are celebrated with festivals.
The term "flowering cherry" refers to seven species of Prunus (Prunus campanulata, P. incisa, P. jamasakura, P. serrulata, P. spachiana, and P. speciosa) and their cultivars. Most of these Prunus species hail from Japan.
Most cherry flowers are light pink to white, but there are also varieties with dark pink, and very rare yellow and green blossoms.
Flowering cherries do very well in the home garden, as their care is nominal. Water them thoroughly after planting and until the tree has been established. Water young trees weekly, increasing to twice weekly during dry weather to help them get established. After the first two seasons, watering every two weeks is sufficient, with more watering during droughts. Long soakings, enough to soak the ground all around the roots, are better for these trees than quick showers. Cherry blossom trees don’t typically require much pruning. However, if you need to prune for any reason, do so after blooming in the spring. This will help shape the tree and remove any dead wood or buds that didn’t bloom. Performs best in full sun in moist, relatively fertile, well-drained soils.
Pyrus calleryana is an ornamental deciduous tree of pyramidal habit with strongly vertical limbs in youth, becoming broader with age.
In early spring, a profusion of five-petaled, creamy white flowers draped in clusters along branches. Flowers are followed by small, inedible, greenish- yellow fruits that attract quite a number of birds. In summer, the shining foliage is dark green and very smooth, and in autumn the leaves commonly turn brilliant colors, ranging from yellow and orange to more commonly red, pink, purple, and bronze. However, since the color often develops very late in autumn
This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments.
Grows up to 30-50 ft. tall and 20-35 ft. wide. This pear tree is not too fussy about soil conditions and tolerates heavy clay. Some drought tolerance once established.
Prune as needed in winter. Virtually pest free, aside from some affliction to fire blight.