The arrival of spring is evident more in the blossoms of trees than anything else. The joyful coloring of the landscape by spring-flowering trees truly lifts the spirits – the pinks and whites of dogwoods and crabapples, the glorious blossoms of magnolia and ornamental pears that magically appear almost overnight. Together, they proclaim that winter is finally over.
Some of our favorite early flowering trees include:
Magnolia – The first to bloom is the Star Magnolia with its many petaled, white flowers. A week later several varieties of Saucer Magnolias make their debut with big, rich, full, cup-shaped flowers in shades of white, pink and purple.
Ornamental Pear – Smothered with small white flowers, Ornamental Pears also have rich leaf color in late fall. Use as a specimen or accent as well as a street tree.
Ornamental Cherry – Every landscape should have at least one cherry tree. The breath-taking Weeping Cherry announces spring’s arrival, followed by the famous Yoshino Cherry of Washington D.C. Next, the popular vase-shaped Kwansan Cherry explodes into bloom with deep pink, double flowers.
Redbud – An adaptable tree with charming bright purple flowers along its bare branches. ‘Forest Pansy’ also boasts purplish foliage all summer. This is one of the few trees that will tolerate shade.
Dogwood – Our native Dogwood is one of the most beautiful flowering trees. Graceful flowers in white, pink and red appear to float on its bare branches. In fall, leaves turn to a reddish purple color with clusters of red berries.
