Choosing A Flowering Tree
A flowering tree can bring beauty and diversity into your yard. Planted next to your doorway, along the driveway, next to your patio or even in a large pot on your deck, it will provide delicacy, a habitat for birds, and foliage throughout the year. Best of all, it will accomplish something annuals cannot – bloom every year.
Dogwood
Dogwoods are one of the most popular flowering trees and are beautiful to look at all year round. Dogwoods typically have white flowers, but some varieties have pink. They are quick-growing trees whose leaves turn a beautiful purplish-red in fall. If you love birds, this is the tree to plant as they love the Dogwood’s red berries.
Flowering Cherry
This is an ornamental cherry tree that explodes in a pink bouquet in late March through April. They require minimal care and add a big impact to any landscape. These are the beautiful blossoming trees of Washington DC in early spring. The Brooklyn Botanical Garden also has a section of these trees in their Japanese Hill and Pond Garden.
Redbud
Seeing a redbud tree in full bloom is memorable. Magenta buds swell into bright pink flowers before any of the leaves appear. They are one of the longest blooming trees – with flowers lasting for two to three weeks. The leaves are heart-shaped and turn bright yellow in autumn.
Plum Newport
If you’re looking to add a blast of color to your summer landscape, the plum Newport is a hardy choice. With plum-colored leaves and delicate light pink flowers, this tree requires no accompanying shrubs or plantings to make a statement.
Magnolia
Magnolias have large glossy foliage and sweet fragrant blooms. Mostly found in the south, there are a few that thrive in our zone. Sweetbay and Magnolia Butterfly are two great options that bloom for about two weeks in spring/summer.
Any of these trees will add value to your yard as they grow, adding fragrance, shade, and attracting wildlife and pollinators to your country living.
