Spring is the time of awakening and new life. Flowers burst with color at every level of the garden; from tiny spring bulbs like crocus and daffodils, or climbing vines like wisteria, to spring-flowering shrubs and ornamental trees. The garden can be full of color early in the growing season.
These tree all bloom in the spring. Here are the hardiness zones, size and growth habit, as well as tips for caring for the spring flowering trees.
Chanticleer Ornamental Pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’) – More upright than the ‘Bradford’ pear trees, the Chanticleers are also called ‘Improved Bradford’, ‘Cleveland Select’, ‘Stonehill’ or ‘Callary Pear’. Beautiful cream white flowers in the spring, glossy green foliage in the summer, dark red foliage in the fall and a striking upright silhouette in the winter, make the Chanticleer a four-season ornamental pear tree. Hardy in zones 5-8 you can expect this pear to grow 30’ tall and get 15’ wide. This ornamental pear is often used in landscaping because of attractive spring flowers, upright strong branching structures that are less prone to breakage than other pears, and the fact that this pear doesn’t leave messy litter in a parking lot or near sidewalks. Light pruning each year for shape is all that is needed, and while edible fruit is produced they are so tiny it is easier to let the birds enjoy the feast each autumn.
Yoshino Cherry Tree (Prunus x yedoensis 'Yoshino') – Hardy zones 5-9. Another spring flowering tree well-suited for public landscape situations, this deciduous cherry tree does not produce seeds or fruit so there is no littler or mess on the ground. The Yoshino cherry has fragrant flowers that cover the bare branches in early spring before the bright green summer foliage appears. This ornamental cherry has bright yellow or orange fall foliage and on open branching silhouette that is interesting in the winter. Grown in full sun, or light shade, this popular spring blooming cherry will reach about 20’ tall and 25’ wide. This spring flowering tree will appreciate slightly acidic soil that is evenly moist, but well-drained.
Forest Pansy Redbud Tree (Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' ) – The ‘Forest Pansy’ redbud is a deciduous tree with beautiful, dark pink blooms early in the spring. The unique thing about this redbud tree compared to other redbuds is the burgundy foliage that turns orange-red in the fall. The spring blooming redbud will slowly grow to 25’ though will take many years to reach past 15’ and can grow to have a spread around 15’. Hardy in zones 5-9 this spring flowering tree prefers full sun or part shade in warmer climates and average, moist soil.
‘Moonglow’ Magnolia Tree (Magnolia virginiana ‘Moonglow’) – Magnolia trees can be either deciduous or evergreen plants but the M. virginiana and M. grandiflora are evergreen. Also known as sweet bay, the Virginian Magnolia has white spring blooms with a sweet citrus scent. The ‘Moonglow’ Magnolia has medium green leaves with silvery white undersides that create a fluttering effect in the breeze. One of the largest, ornamental spring blooming trees, the Virginian Magnolia usually grows to 50’ tall with a 30’ spread although the ‘Moonglow’ seems to be a bit more compact at 35-40’ x 15-20’. These spring flowering trees prefer moist, slightly acidic in full sun or part shade. The perfect evergreen tree to plant near large water features, rivers or in soggy soil.
- Tell us some of your favorite spring-flowering trees .
