Flowering Landscape Trees
- Crabapples are smaller than traditional apples.crabapples image by catbird338 from Fotolia.com
Reaching up to 50 feet tall, crabapple (Malus baccata) is covered in white or pink fragrant flowers throughout the spring. These flowers mature into small, edible fruit in early fall. Crabapple prefers to grow in well-drained, slightly acidic soil and full sun in USDA hardiness zones 2 through 7. The leaves are green and deciduous, and they fall in the winter after turning a brilliant yellow. Plant your crabapple tree far enough from other plants or structures to assure good air circulation to prevent the growth of fungus. - The petals of the dogwood flowers are actually bracts surrounding small yellow flowers.dogwood image by rebekah gonzalez from Fotolia.com
The flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) reaches only 20 feet tall when grown in full sun, but may grow to 40 feet tall in shade, according to Clemson University. (see ref #3) These trees produce large, four-petalled flowers in shades of white, yellow or pink. These flowers usually bloom in the spring, but in some climates, may appear in late winter before the leaves sprout. Dogwood isn't grown just for the flowers, the leaves put on a fall show in shades of crimson and purple. In winter, the branches arch gracefully and add to the landscape even after the leaves have fallen. Dogwoods grow in moist, well-drained soil in United States Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 5 through 9. - Panicles of paper flowers bloom throughout the summer.Myrtle Crepe 5 image by Arnie from Fotolia.com
Covered with papery flowers from spring well into fall, crape myrtle has one of the longest blooming seasons of any flowering tree. Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia) is a small tree, reaching only 35 feet tall and wide. The trunk and branches twist, creating an interesting appearance even in winter after the foliage falls. Crape myrtle grows in full sun and tolerates a wide range of soil in USDA hardiness zones 7 through 10. This tree is also drought and heat resistant, according to the University of Florida. Flowers range in color from white to pink, red and purple. - Magnolia trees grow throughout the South.magnolia image by Edsweb from Fotolia.com
Producing 5- to 10-inch creamy white or pink flowers throughout the summer, the magnolia is a popular warm-weather flowering tree. As an evergreen tree, the magnolia won't lose its leaves in the winter. These trees range in size, depending on the cultivar. Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) grows to 50 feet tall, while the star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) reaches only 20 feet tall. All cultivars prefer acidic, well-drained soil in full or partial shade. Magnolia trees grow throughout the south and west in USDA hardiness zones 7 through 9.
