If you’re considering adding a tree to your landscape this spring, take a look at these top-performing flowering varieties recommended by landscape architects and designers across the country. From a spring-flowering magnolia native to the Eastern United States, to a fragrant desert bloomer with clusters of pendulous blossoms adored by pollinators, there are flowering trees for gardens of all types.
1. Seven-Son Flower
(Heptacodium miconioides)
Native to China
Why this tree: It stands out in the landscape with its “exfoliating bark, glossy, attractive foliage [and] late-summer fragrant, white blooms,” Hoxsie says. “It is really quite beautiful and interesting to look at year-round.” The designer often recommends this tree to clients who are real plant lovers or are looking for a standout specimen tree.
Special feature: “There’s a bonus display of pink calyces (the leaf-like structures at the base of the flower) in the fall after the blooms are spent,” Hoxsie says. Pendulous, cream-colored blossoms, which are often made up of seven small flowers, attract hummingbirds and butterflies in early fall.
(Heptacodium miconioides)
Native to China
Why this tree: It stands out in the landscape with its “exfoliating bark, glossy, attractive foliage [and] late-summer fragrant, white blooms,” Hoxsie says. “It is really quite beautiful and interesting to look at year-round.” The designer often recommends this tree to clients who are real plant lovers or are looking for a standout specimen tree.
Special feature: “There’s a bonus display of pink calyces (the leaf-like structures at the base of the flower) in the fall after the blooms are spent,” Hoxsie says. Pendulous, cream-colored blossoms, which are often made up of seven small flowers, attract hummingbirds and butterflies in early fall.
Seven-son flower, shown here in winter, provides seasonal interest with its tan bark peeling back to reveal darker brown inner bark.Growing tips: “It prefers full sun but can tolerate some shade,” Hoxsie says. “It prefers slightly acidic soils but has tolerated the clay soils here in the Chicago area without issue. It prefers moist, well-drained soil.”
The plants can have an irregular growing habit, she adds. Choose a specimen tree carefully for desired shape, training as a single-stemmed tree or into a vase shape, and prune in winter when it’s dormant.
Design tips: “It looks great in the fall with ornamental grasses,” the designer says.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 5 to 9)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 15 to 20 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide, but it can be kept smaller with annual pruning
2. Eastern Redbud
(Cercis canadensis)
Native to the central U.S. east to southern New England and south to Florida and Texas
Why this tree: “It has beautiful purplish-pink blooms that completely cover the tree in the spring. It has an attractive rich-green, heart-shaped leaf that makes it an interesting foliage tree as well,” Steinhauer says. Leaves are bright green in spring and summer and turn pale yellow in fall.
Special features: “Native bees rely heavily on the redbud flowers in early spring. The eastern redbud is a beautiful tree that is beneficial to a variety of animals and many species of insects, including bees,” the designer adds.
Growing tips: Steinhauer advises planting a redbud tree in early spring. “They prefer well-drained soil and a partly shaded location,” he says.
Design tips: “These plants work well next to patios and in courtyards because of their compact form. Redbuds are typically the first tree to bloom in early spring, which makes tulips and other bulbs a great companion plant or understory,” Steinhauer says.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9)
Water requirement: Prefers moist, well-drained soils but can survive in drier conditions
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 20 to 30 feet tall and up to 35 feet wide, but it can be kept smaller with pruning
(Cercis canadensis)
Native to the central U.S. east to southern New England and south to Florida and Texas
Why this tree: “It has beautiful purplish-pink blooms that completely cover the tree in the spring. It has an attractive rich-green, heart-shaped leaf that makes it an interesting foliage tree as well,” Steinhauer says. Leaves are bright green in spring and summer and turn pale yellow in fall.
Special features: “Native bees rely heavily on the redbud flowers in early spring. The eastern redbud is a beautiful tree that is beneficial to a variety of animals and many species of insects, including bees,” the designer adds.
Growing tips: Steinhauer advises planting a redbud tree in early spring. “They prefer well-drained soil and a partly shaded location,” he says.
Design tips: “These plants work well next to patios and in courtyards because of their compact form. Redbuds are typically the first tree to bloom in early spring, which makes tulips and other bulbs a great companion plant or understory,” Steinhauer says.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9)
Water requirement: Prefers moist, well-drained soils but can survive in drier conditions
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 20 to 30 feet tall and up to 35 feet wide, but it can be kept smaller with pruning
3. Japanese Snowbell
(Styrax japonicus)
Native to China, Japan and Korea
Why this tree: “They have a delicate canopy with horizontal branching and dangling white, bell-shaped scented flowers in June — later than many other flowering trees, extending the bonanza,” Holdsworth says. It’s an attractive tree post-bloom too. “The bark is [an] elegant, smooth gray-brown, and the drupes that follow the flowers are olive-shaped and greenish-brown, persisting into winter,” she says.
Special features: “The flowers attract pollinators like mad,” Holdsworth says. “The whole tree is alive with happy, buzzing [and] healthy pollinators when in bloom.” Choose between a number of cultivars: Some have pink blossoms and others have weeping forms.
(Styrax japonicus)
Native to China, Japan and Korea
Why this tree: “They have a delicate canopy with horizontal branching and dangling white, bell-shaped scented flowers in June — later than many other flowering trees, extending the bonanza,” Holdsworth says. It’s an attractive tree post-bloom too. “The bark is [an] elegant, smooth gray-brown, and the drupes that follow the flowers are olive-shaped and greenish-brown, persisting into winter,” she says.
Special features: “The flowers attract pollinators like mad,” Holdsworth says. “The whole tree is alive with happy, buzzing [and] healthy pollinators when in bloom.” Choose between a number of cultivars: Some have pink blossoms and others have weeping forms.
Growing tips: Holdsworth plants the trees in full sun to partial shade in average soil. “Japanese snowbell are super easy to grow,” she says, adding that she has never seen them bothered by pests or diseases.
Design tips: “I love to place these trees near a terrace or alongside steps so that the flowers can be appreciated from below,” the designer says.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 9)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 20 to 30 feet tall and wide, but it can be kept smaller with annual pruning
Design tips: “I love to place these trees near a terrace or alongside steps so that the flowers can be appreciated from below,” the designer says.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 9)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 20 to 30 feet tall and wide, but it can be kept smaller with annual pruning
4. Crape Myrtle
(Lagerstroemia indica)
Native to China, Indochina, Japan and the Himalayas
Loved by: Robin Parson of Spring Greenworks in Seattle
Why this tree: Their structure, peeling bark, fall color and summer blooms mean crape myrtles offer nearly year-round interest. “There are so many varieties that are appealing, and they can be attractive to pollinating bees,” Parson says.
Special features: Hybrid crape myrtles offer a range of blossom colors, including white, lilac, deep purple and a range of red and pink shades. Lavender-flowered ‘Muskogee’ and white-flowered ‘Natchez’ are two of Parson’s favorites.
Growing tips: “They thrive in heat and do well when planted in protected areas, or near a west-facing wall,” the designer says. They tolerate most soil types, except water-logged soils, she adds.
Design tips: Parson likes to plant crape myrtle as a specimen tree or alongside a driveway. “I have used them in groupings, with multiple layers of sun-loving plants around them.”
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 20.6 degrees Celsius (zones 6 to 9)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 6 to 25 feet tall and 6 to 20 feet wide; dwarf hybrids are also available
(Lagerstroemia indica)
Native to China, Indochina, Japan and the Himalayas
Loved by: Robin Parson of Spring Greenworks in Seattle
Why this tree: Their structure, peeling bark, fall color and summer blooms mean crape myrtles offer nearly year-round interest. “There are so many varieties that are appealing, and they can be attractive to pollinating bees,” Parson says.
Special features: Hybrid crape myrtles offer a range of blossom colors, including white, lilac, deep purple and a range of red and pink shades. Lavender-flowered ‘Muskogee’ and white-flowered ‘Natchez’ are two of Parson’s favorites.
Growing tips: “They thrive in heat and do well when planted in protected areas, or near a west-facing wall,” the designer says. They tolerate most soil types, except water-logged soils, she adds.
Design tips: Parson likes to plant crape myrtle as a specimen tree or alongside a driveway. “I have used them in groupings, with multiple layers of sun-loving plants around them.”
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 20.6 degrees Celsius (zones 6 to 9)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 6 to 25 feet tall and 6 to 20 feet wide; dwarf hybrids are also available
5. Desert Willow
(Chilopsis linearis)
Native to the Southwestern United States
Why this tree: This desert tree is native to the southwest U.S., including parts of Texas, and offers months of showy blooms as well as delicate, willow-like foliage.
Special features: The large orchid-shaped white-and-pink flowers bloom from spring through summer and are pollinator friendly.
Growing tips: Desert willow grows best in full sun and in well-draining soil. Although it can survive periods of very low water, it looks lusher when it receives some supplemental water (two or three deep waterings in summer, monthly water in winter).
Design tips: “The open, airy branch structure allows you to grow other sun-loving plants underneath such as salvia, blackfoot daisy (Melampodium leucanthum) and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium),” the designer says.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 20.6 degrees Celsius (zones 6 to 9)
Water requirement: Low
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 25 feet tall and wide
Native to the Southwestern United States
Why this tree: This desert tree is native to the southwest U.S., including parts of Texas, and offers months of showy blooms as well as delicate, willow-like foliage.
Special features: The large orchid-shaped white-and-pink flowers bloom from spring through summer and are pollinator friendly.
Growing tips: Desert willow grows best in full sun and in well-draining soil. Although it can survive periods of very low water, it looks lusher when it receives some supplemental water (two or three deep waterings in summer, monthly water in winter).
Design tips: “The open, airy branch structure allows you to grow other sun-loving plants underneath such as salvia, blackfoot daisy (Melampodium leucanthum) and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium),” the designer says.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 20.6 degrees Celsius (zones 6 to 9)
Water requirement: Low
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 25 feet tall and wide
6. ‘Silver Peso’ Texas Mountain Laurel
(Sophora secundiflora ‘Silver Peso’)
Cultivar of species native to central Texas west to New Mexico and south to San Luis Potosi in Mexico
Why this tree: “The colors are just dreamy,” Przygoda-Montgomery says. “It has silver, velvety leaves and blooms with clusters of grape-like flowers, which look like wisteria.”
Special features: The fragrance of Texas mountain laurel is “like juicy fruit,” the designer says, and it wafts through the warm desert air. “I can smell my neighbor’s tree two houses down.” The heady fragrance attracts native pollinators to the blossoms in midwinter. Seeds of this plant are poisonous and can be removed.
Growing tips: The designer recommends planting in quick-draining soil in an area with full sun exposure. She adds that it’s a slow-growing tree and generally reaches 15 feet in desert gardens.
Design tips: “I love pairing it with golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii), gaura (Gaura lindheimeri) and whale’s tongue agave (Agave ovatifolia) for a nice layered desert group planting,” the designer says.
Where it will grow: Hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 9.4 degrees Celsius (zones 8 to 10)
Water requirement: Low; drought tolerant
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 10 to 30 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide; most grow to 10 to 15 at maturity in gardens
(Sophora secundiflora ‘Silver Peso’)
Cultivar of species native to central Texas west to New Mexico and south to San Luis Potosi in Mexico
Why this tree: “The colors are just dreamy,” Przygoda-Montgomery says. “It has silver, velvety leaves and blooms with clusters of grape-like flowers, which look like wisteria.”
Special features: The fragrance of Texas mountain laurel is “like juicy fruit,” the designer says, and it wafts through the warm desert air. “I can smell my neighbor’s tree two houses down.” The heady fragrance attracts native pollinators to the blossoms in midwinter. Seeds of this plant are poisonous and can be removed.
Growing tips: The designer recommends planting in quick-draining soil in an area with full sun exposure. She adds that it’s a slow-growing tree and generally reaches 15 feet in desert gardens.
Design tips: “I love pairing it with golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii), gaura (Gaura lindheimeri) and whale’s tongue agave (Agave ovatifolia) for a nice layered desert group planting,” the designer says.
Where it will grow: Hardy to 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 9.4 degrees Celsius (zones 8 to 10)
Water requirement: Low; drought tolerant
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 10 to 30 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide; most grow to 10 to 15 at maturity in gardens
7. ‘Wolf Eyes’ Kousa Dogwood
(Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’)
Cultivar of species native to Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan
Why this tree: “This tree has a lovely form, with white late spring blooms, variegated leaves and fall fruit and leaf color. The small mature size fits well into most garden spaces,” the designer says. “It’s hard to find a tree this small with so many attributes,” she adds.
Special features: The leaves of the ‘Wolf Eyes’ cultivar are bordered by creamy leaf margins, which can be used to brighten shady areas of the garden. Following flowering, the tree produces decorative pink edible fruits. The leaves take on a magenta tinge in the fall, and dark gray bark stands out in winter for structure. “The habit is slightly rounded, perfect as a specimen in a mixed bed or border,” Simpson says.
Growing tips: “Slightly acidic, well-composted soil is best. It needs moisture but should not be allowed to sit wet,” the designer says. “It is best in a protected location without too much wind. Full sun will burn the delicate variegated leaves. It does fine in urban gardens.”
Design tips: “I find this to be a great specimen to add structure to a mixed bed or border. It pairs well with other part-shade plants and looks lovely in a plant palette that uses white to brighten a garden corner,” Simpson says. “I have paired it with astilbe, hosta, ferns and mixed shrub plantings, all to great effect.”
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 8)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Bright, filtered sun to partial shade
Mature size: 6 feet tall and wide
(Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’)
Cultivar of species native to Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan
Why this tree: “This tree has a lovely form, with white late spring blooms, variegated leaves and fall fruit and leaf color. The small mature size fits well into most garden spaces,” the designer says. “It’s hard to find a tree this small with so many attributes,” she adds.
Special features: The leaves of the ‘Wolf Eyes’ cultivar are bordered by creamy leaf margins, which can be used to brighten shady areas of the garden. Following flowering, the tree produces decorative pink edible fruits. The leaves take on a magenta tinge in the fall, and dark gray bark stands out in winter for structure. “The habit is slightly rounded, perfect as a specimen in a mixed bed or border,” Simpson says.
Growing tips: “Slightly acidic, well-composted soil is best. It needs moisture but should not be allowed to sit wet,” the designer says. “It is best in a protected location without too much wind. Full sun will burn the delicate variegated leaves. It does fine in urban gardens.”
Design tips: “I find this to be a great specimen to add structure to a mixed bed or border. It pairs well with other part-shade plants and looks lovely in a plant palette that uses white to brighten a garden corner,” Simpson says. “I have paired it with astilbe, hosta, ferns and mixed shrub plantings, all to great effect.”
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 8)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Bright, filtered sun to partial shade
Mature size: 6 feet tall and wide
8. Apple Serviceberry(Amelanchier x grandiflora)
Hybrid between native species A. arborea and A. laevis
Why this tree: The designer appreciates the four seasons of interest it brings to her clients’ gardens. “Spring: white pendulous flowers; new leaves emerge bronze-red. Summer: Reddish-blue berries in July. Fall: Excellent orange-red fall color. Winter: silvery-gray bark and elegant multistemmed silhouette,” she says.
Special features: The decorative berries provide a food source for native birds.
Growing tips: “It’s a great understory tree and great planted close to a terrace,” the designer says. Apple serviceberry can grow in most soil types but does best in well-draining loam. Krause recommends pruning suckering branches to maintain an upright shape. The ‘Autumn Brilliance’ cultivar has particularly bright orange-red leaves in fall.
Design tips: “Plant against an evergreen hedge or in a woodland setting to show off fall color, flowers and form,” the designer says. “I recently planted a group of three in front of a dark fence adjacent to a patio with an understory of ‘Rozanne’ cranesbill (Geranium ‘Rozanne’).”
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 15 to 25 feet tall and wide
Hybrid between native species A. arborea and A. laevis
Why this tree: The designer appreciates the four seasons of interest it brings to her clients’ gardens. “Spring: white pendulous flowers; new leaves emerge bronze-red. Summer: Reddish-blue berries in July. Fall: Excellent orange-red fall color. Winter: silvery-gray bark and elegant multistemmed silhouette,” she says.
Special features: The decorative berries provide a food source for native birds.
Growing tips: “It’s a great understory tree and great planted close to a terrace,” the designer says. Apple serviceberry can grow in most soil types but does best in well-draining loam. Krause recommends pruning suckering branches to maintain an upright shape. The ‘Autumn Brilliance’ cultivar has particularly bright orange-red leaves in fall.
Design tips: “Plant against an evergreen hedge or in a woodland setting to show off fall color, flowers and form,” the designer says. “I recently planted a group of three in front of a dark fence adjacent to a patio with an understory of ‘Rozanne’ cranesbill (Geranium ‘Rozanne’).”
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade
Mature size: 15 to 25 feet tall and wide
9. Franklin Tree
(Franklinia alatamaha)
Native to the Altamaha River valley in Georgia in the Southeastern U.S. but now considered extinct in the wild
Why this tree: “This plant was found by John Bartram in 1777 along the banks of the Altamaha River and named it after his father’s friend Ben Franklin,” Pell says. The tree is now extinct in the wild, so residential and botanical gardens are its sole habitat.
Special features: The tree’s flowers have “beautiful white petals with yellow stamens” that bloom in summer and sporadically into late summer. Glossy, dark green oblong leaves also cover the tree.
Growing tips: “As it was found on the banks of a river, silty, well-drained soils with plenty of organic matter are best,” Pell says. “This tree is a bit finicky but is worthy of trialing for garden or native plant enthusiasts. If you have the right conditions, it can be very happy and delightful.”
Design tips: “I have included this tree as a specimen plant in light shade,” the designer says. He shares that he has a young Franklin tree growing in a bed of tufted sedge (Carex elata) in his own garden. “They are happy together so far. Its fibrous root system still allows for a dense herbaceous layer to cover the ground right up to its trunk,” Pell says.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 26.1 degrees Celsius (zones 5 to 8)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun to part shade; light shade in hot summer climates
Mature size: 10 to 20 feet tall and 6 to 15 feet wide
10. Pink Trumpet Tree
(Handroanthus impetiginosus)
Native to North, Central and South America; from northern Mexico south to northern Argentina
Why this tree: “It is covered in spectacular pink trumpet-shaped flowers on bare branches in late winter, early spring,” Scott says. “I love planting the tree along the edge of a property, mixed with evergreen trees, so that the pink blooms are a wonderful surprise when they appear and are surrounded by green. It’s also useful as a patio tree and provides moderate shade.”
Special features: Commonly called pink trumpet tree, pink lapacho, or pink ipe, this shade tree transforms into an explosion of pink blooms that offer a source of nectar to hummingbirds and other pollinators.
Growing tips: “The tree is not particular about soil type, so long as drainage is fairly good,” Scott says. “It prefers full sun and moderate water.” She also notes that the tree briefly loses its leaves in winter in Southern California before blooms begin.
Design tips: “Companion plants that I’ve used include Breeze mat rush (Lomandra longifolia ‘LM300’) and ‘Plum Delight’ fringe flower (Loropetalum chinense ‘Plum Delight’). These can take the light shade that the pink trumpet tree casts, and the dark foliage of the Loropetalum carries the grouping when the tree is not in flower and looks smashing together with it when in bloom.”
Where it will grow: Hardy to 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or 1.7 degrees Celsius (zones 10 to 11)
Water requirement: Moderate
Light requirement: Full sun
Mature size: 20 to 30 feet tall and wide
‘Natchez’ Crape Myrtle
Content provided by Lauren Dunec Hoang at Houzz.com
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