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Flowering Trees

Descriptions and pictures of flowering trees and tips on caring for them. Care of flowering trees begins with knowing where they grow best, including their planting zones. Included are dogwood, crabapple, mulberry and weeping cherry. Flowering trees are among the most prized specimens of the yard, making a bold statement and heralding the return of warmer weather in the North.
Golden Chain Trees | Laburnum x Watereri Golden Chain Trees
Golden chain trees (Laburnum x watereri) bear striking racemes of yellow flowers in late spring. The blooms of golden chain trees can be damaged by frost; nor does Laburnum x watereri tolerate humidity well.
'Wolf Eyes' Kousa Dogwood
A Chinese native, 'Wolf Eyes' Cornus kousa dogwood has variegated leaves. Like other kousa dogwood trees, it blooms later than the American native.
Pictures of Flowering Trees
Browse my pictures of flowering trees to gain some ideas for beautifying your spring yard. I supplement these photos of flowering trees with links to resources on growing them.
Washington Hawthorn Trees
Washington hawthorn trees may be most valued for the time at which they bloom. Since they bloom in late spring to early summer, they help bridge the gap between the blossoming display put on earlier in spring by many specimens and the fall foliage show of autumn.
Trees That Attract Wild Birds
Birdwatching and landscaping can complement each other beautifully when you plant your landscape with flowering trees and shrubs. Read why one of our favorite flowering trees, dogwood, makes #1 on my Top 10 list. Descriptions accompany all my picks for flowering trees and shrubs, many of which provide hours of birdwatching fun with their colorful berries.
"Saucer" Magnolias
As the name implies, "saucer" magnolias have large blooms that make quite an impact on passersby. This article provides information about these showy flowering specimens, including their growing requirements.
Tulip Trees
Tulip trees function in the landscape as fast-growing shade trees with fall-foliage interest. The showy blooms of these flowering trees make them something of an anomaly among tall shade trees in temperate regions.
Crape Myrtles: Queen of Flowering Trees of the South
Crape myrtles are a popular choice in flowering trees for Southerners, with their long blooming period (mid-summer to fall). The blooming clusters of these flowering trees come in pink, white, red and lavender. The clusters appear on the tips of new wood. Northerners can sometimes get away with treating these flowering trees as perennials that die back in winter but come back in spring.
Harry Lauder's Walking Stick
Harry Lauder's walking stick is a case in which a tree or shrub truly shines only after its leaves have fallen. Harry Lauder's walking stick is an excellent specimen to plant for winter interest. Usually classified as a shrub, some people think of it as a "tree" because it is grafted onto a 4'-high rootstock that serves as a trunk.
Weeping Varieties: Cherry, Mulberry, Crabapple
Some of the most elegant flowering trees are those with a weeping habit. This article looks at the following weeping varieties that bloom: cherry, mulberry and crabapple. Other specimens are discussed as well. Pictures included.
Flowering Trees for Fall Foliage: Dogwoods
When we think of dogwood, we immediate think, "flowering trees." And indeed, dogwoods are among the best-loved flowering trees of spring. But dogwoods are more than just elite flowering trees to be enjoyed in spring; they also bear attractive autumn leaves. Two dogwoods are described here, each offering different fall foliage colors.
Kwanzan Cherry Trees
Kwanzan cherries are deciduous flowering trees. These Japanese ornamental specimens put on quite a blossoming display in spring but are susceptible to borers.
Rose of Sharon
Although some people think of it as a "tree" (because it gets tall and can be pruned so as to have a single trunk), rose of sharon is, in fact, a flowering shrub. The fact that it blooms relatively late -- and for a long time -- makes it a valuable plant for those looking to distribute their yard's color display throughout the growing season.
TreeLink: Information on Flowering Trees and More
The mission of TreeLink is simple: "To improve urban and community forests by providing Internet-based information, tools and inspiration."

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