Flowering Trees

Flowering trees are trees grown for their beautiful blossoms, which can cover the branches in white, pink, red, purple or yellow. Choosing one is a big decision, because a well-chosen tree can bring color, shade, fruit and wildlife to a garden for decades.

A good flowering tree offers more than just pretty flowers. The blossoms feed bees, butterflies and other pollinators, and many trees go on to produce fruit for birds and small mammals. When you choose a tree, think about the whole year: leaf shape, bark, fruit and autumn color, as well as the flowers. It is also important to check the tree’s full size, since many gardens only have room for a small one.

Gardeners in the United States use hardiness zones to tell which trees can survive their winters. The lower the number, the colder the winters a tree can handle. Each tree below lists its usual zones.

Some Wonderful Flowering Trees

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)

Height: 30 to 60 feet. Zones: 4 to 9.

Sassafras is native to eastern North America. In early spring, before the dogwoods bloom, it lights up the bare branches with clusters of small yellow-green flowers. Tree expert Guy Sternberg of Starhill Forest Arboretum in Illinois has compared sassafras blooming next to pink redbuds to raspberry-lemon sherbet.

Sassafras is a host plant for butterfly larvae, including the caterpillars of the spicebush swallowtail, and for several moths. Its dark blue, fat-rich fruits are eaten by migrating birds in late summer. The leaves come in three shapes, oval, mitten-shaped and three-lobed, and turn orange, red and yellow in fall. Sassafras has a long taproot and is hard to transplant, so start with a young nursery tree.

Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Height: 20 to 30 feet. Zones: 4 to 9.

Redbuds announce spring. Before the leaves appear, tiny magenta-pink flowers cover the branches and even the trunk, lasting two to three weeks. Then large, heart-shaped leaves unfold. The redbud tree is native to eastern North America and is a member of the pea family, so after flowering it grows flat seed pods that look like snow peas.

Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)

Height: 15 to 30 feet. Zones: 5 to 9.

The flowering dogwood’s big white or pink “petals” are actually special leaves called bracts. The real flowers are the tiny green-yellow cluster in the middle. In the wild, the dogwood tree is an understory tree that grows beneath taller trees, so it likes part shade. Its red fall berries are a favorite of birds. Good drainage and air flow help protect it from a fungal disease called anthracnose. Gardeners in the north should buy trees grown from northern stock for extra hardiness.

Flowering Crabapple (Malus)

Photo by: John Talbot

Height: 15 to 25 feet. Zones: about 4 to 8, depending on the variety.

There are hundreds of named varieties of flowering crabapple. In spring, dark pink buds open into pink, red or white blossoms that buzz with bees. The flowers become small red, orange or yellow apples, and on many varieties the fruit hangs on into winter, when hungry birds eat it. Disease resistance varies a lot, so ask a local nursery which varieties grow best where you live.

Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus)

Height: 12 to 20 feet. Zones: 4 to 9.

In late spring, the fringe tree is covered with fluffy clouds of fragrant white flowers with long, thin, ribbon-like petals. It is native to the southeastern United States and has been grown at George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate. Fringe trees are usually either male or female. Male trees have slightly showier flowers, while female trees produce dark blue fruits that birds love. The tree grows in sun or part shade.

Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)

Photo by: Derek Ramsey

Height: 10 to 20 feet in the north, taller in the south. Zones: 5 to 9.

Sweetbay is a small magnolia with creamy white, cup-shaped flowers that smell of lemon, blooming in late spring and summer. Its leaves are green on top and silvery underneath, so they shimmer in the breeze. In late summer, the cone-like fruits split to show bright red seeds that birds eat. The southern form (M. virginiana var. australis) is often evergreen and grows taller, while the northern form is semi-evergreen and often has several trunks. It is native along the eastern United States, even in swamps, so it handles wet soil. Plant one near a path so people can enjoy the scent.

American Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea)

Photo by: Ulf Eliasson

Height: 30 to 50 feet. Zones: 4 to 8.

In late spring, American yellowwood hangs long, fragrant clusters of white flowers, a bit like white wisteria. It is native to the southeastern and central United States but is quite rare in the wild. It gets its name from its yellow inner wood. Young trees may take about ten years to bloom, and many bloom heavily only every other year. The smooth gray bark and soft yellow fall color make it handsome all year.

Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)

Photo by: Didier Descouens

Height: 15 to 25 feet. Zones: 7 to 9.

Crape myrtle comes from eastern Asia and loves heat. While other trees finish blooming, it fills summer with big clusters of crinkly white, pink, red or purple flowers that can last for months. Many have several trunks with smooth bark that peels off in patches. Crape myrtles need hot summers to bloom well, so they may flower poorly in cool climates.

Seven-Son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides)

Height: 15 to 20 feet. Zones: 5 to 8.

This rare tree from China blooms in late summer and early fall, when few other trees flower. Its fragrant white flowers are followed by rosy red calyxes, the parts around the flower, which look like a second bloom. It has peeling tan bark and tolerates drought. Young plants can look lanky and awkward for a few years, so a little pruning helps shape them.

Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)

Height: 3 to 25 feet. Zones: 5 to 8. Japanese maples have tiny red flowers, but they are grown mostly for their lacy, colorful leaves and graceful shapes. They tolerate part shade and look lovely beside patios, lawns and ponds.

Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa)

Height: 15 to 30 feet. Zones: 5 to 8. This dogwood from eastern Asia blooms in late spring, after its leaves appear, with pointed white bracts. In fall it produces round red fruits that look like raspberries and hang from the branches.

Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana)

Height: 20 to 25 feet. Zones: 5 to 9. This popular garden magnolia has huge pink, purple and white flowers, up to about 6 inches across, on bare branches in early spring. A late frost can turn the flowers brown, so a sheltered spot helps.

Serviceberry (Amelanchier)

Height: 15 to 25 feet. Zones: 4 to 9. Serviceberry is a tough native tree with white flowers in early spring, followed by sweet, edible purple berries in early summer, which is why it is also called Juneberry. Birds love the fruit, and the leaves turn orange and red in fall.

A Word About Callery Pear

Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana), including the well-known ‘Bradford’ pear, was once planted everywhere for its white spring flowers. Today it is considered an invasive tree in much of the eastern United States, where it spreads into fields and woods, and its branches often split in storms. Some states now limit its sale, and experts suggest choosing a native tree such as serviceberry instead.

Tips for Planting Flowering Trees

Photo by: Tom Sulcer

• Plant in fall or early spring, when the weather is cool and the soil is moist, and water well through the first year.
• Check the tree’s full height and spread, its sun needs and its hardiness zone before you buy.
• Start with a young tree. Small trees often settle in faster than big ones.
• Choose native trees when you can. They support local birds, butterflies and pollinators and give a garden a sense of place.
• Plant trees in groups of different sizes for a natural look, and place new trees near existing ones rather than dotting them around.
• Mix it up. If your neighborhood already has lots of crabapples, try something different.
• A tree does not need to be perfect. Birds visit leaves with a few holes because that is where they find insects to eat.
• Visit local nurseries and garden specialists. They often have unusual trees and good advice for your area.