These Are the 10 Best Flowering Trees for Your Garden
Just what you need for adding color, texture, and year-round interest to your yard
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A well-planned garden includes layers of color and texture and overflows with annuals, perennials, and shrubs. But flowering trees are the showpieces of any landscape, no matter what the season. They offer shade, provide structure to your garden’s design, and serve as focal points or backdrops in mixed borders. Flowering trees also attract pollinators, like bees and butterflies, as well as birds to your garden. In addition many flowering trees burst into bloom in late winter or early spring, precisely when you don’t think you can stand one more dreary day.
When choosing a tree read the plant tag or description to learn its mature height and width. You don’t want to select a tree that will outgrow your garden’s design or place it under roof overhangs, eaves, or wires that will interfere with its growth or force you to trim it aggressively in a few years. Also make sure the tree is suited to survive winters in your USDA hardiness zone (find yours here). Finally pay attention to exposure when selecting a site in your garden: Many trees need full sun, which is six or more hours of direct sun per day, though a few prefer some afternoon shade.
Here are the 10 prettiest flowering trees to adorn your garden.
Kousa Dogwood
Many types of dogwoods bloom in spring, but this type blooms about a month later than others. With creamy white flowers followed by bright red berries, which birds love, this tree has a beautiful vase shape and attractive bark for winter interest. Give it a prominent spot in your yard.
Crape Myrtle
Crape myrtle trees come in an array of sizes and colors, and they’re a wonderful addition to gardens in temperate regions of the country. They typically bloom in shades of white, pink, purple, or red from early summer to frost and can be shaped as a shrub or into a small tree form. They work well as part of a mixed border or privacy screen.
Heptacodium
This outstanding little-known tree, also called seven-son flower, boasts year-round interest as a focal point. It begins in spring with the emergence of striking leathery leaves, followed by fragrant white flowers in late summer, which attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Red bracts, which look like a second bloom, appear next. In winter its handsome peeling bark is prominent. Look for the variety Temple of Bloom, which keeps a tidy shape.
Redbud
This native tree boasts tiny lavender-pink or fuchsia sweetpea-like flowers clustered on bare branches before the heart-shaped leaves appear. Pollinators love this tree because it’s one of the first to bloom in early to mid-spring. Forest Pansy is a great variety for most gardens.
Chastetree
Chastetree is another lesser-known ornamental tree, but its clusters of lovely blue-purple flowers, which appear in late summer and last into fall, make it an eye-catching focal point. Pollinators love this tree with its long-lasting blooms. Look for a dwarf variety such as Blue Diddley if you’re tight on space.
Crab Apple
Crab apple trees offer year-round interest. In the spring their bright pink or white blooms provide a welcome splash of color. Berries, which the birds love, persist into the winter months. Prairifire is an especially attractive, disease-resistant variety with hot pink flowers.
Camellia
Camellias come in an array of colors, and most flower in mid- to late winter through spring, just when you most crave some color. This evergreen is suited to more temperate regions of the country only.
Flowering Cherry
There’s a reason people travel to Washington, D.C., or Yoshino, Japan, to see the cherry blossoms in spring: They are stunning! Plant a flowering cherry in your yard to show off profuse blooms for weeks. The variety Kwanzan is a particular favorite for landscapes.
Serviceberry
This native shrub has lovely white spring blooms, blue fruit in summer, and stunning autumn color, so it’s basically the perfect landscape tree. The fruit can be made into jams and jellies, if you’re feeling ambitious (or if the birds don’t get it all). Autumn Brilliance is an especially attractive variety.
Japanese Snowbell
This is another less common tree, but it’s a true showpiece when it blooms in late spring. Fragrant white bell-shaped flowers drape along the branches and attract pollinators, while the foliage offers attractive yellow autumn color.
Arricca Elin SanSone has written about health and lifestyle topics for Prevention, Country Living, Woman's Day, and more. She’s passionate about gardening, baking, reading, and spending time with the people and dogs she loves.
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