How to Choose Spring Blooming Ornamental Trees

Whether you live in the desert southwest or the Appalachian forest, you can plant a spring blooming tree that thrives in your landscape. Blooming trees serve as the workhorses of the garden, for they provide shade, blooms and fall foliage for no more work than any other tree. Choose one for a small garden, or plant several to create an impressive drift of blooms in the spring.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Select trees that offer interest all year long, not just during the spring blooming season. For example, dogwood trees have vibrant red fall foliage and produce red berries that attract birds.

2. Look for ornamental trees that can stand air pollution in urban gardens. The saucer magnolia is a hardy specimen that produces tulip-like pink flowers and grows from 10 to 25 feet high.

3. Plant a drought-tolerant spring blooming tree if your garden in a hot, dry region. The jacaranda hails from the deserts of Brazil and thrives in the arid climate of Australia. Jacarandas start their show in April, producing white or pink blossoms.

4. Choose under story trees for shaded areas of your yard. These blooming trees prefer a sheltered area similar to their woodland habitat. You can grow redbuds or Carolina silver bell.

5. Replace an ordinary weeping willow with an ornamental cherry. Not grown for their fruits, these trees feature white or pink flowers and handsome burgundy bark. Grow Autumnalis for its semi-double blooms.

6. Accent a large-scale garden with a suitably grand spring blooming tree. Downy serviceberry grows to 50 feet, with showy white flowers followed by berries and vivid fall foliage.