7 Types of Spring-Flowering Trees

Spring-flowering trees refer to the many different kinds of trees that bloom and prosper in the springtime after winter’s frost and before summer’s heat. Magnolias, myrtles, and dogwoods are among the many different types of trees that blossom come spring. Many are shade trees, yielding foliage and flowers for sitting underneath, and some are fruit trees bearing edible and nutritious foods. Homeowners can grow many of these flowering trees in either full sun or partial shade to diversify their garden and bring vibrancy to their yards.

Once in full bloom, these large, medium-sized, and small trees act as the perfect complement to your spring flowers and lend stunning verticality to your garden and yard.

1. 1. Crepe myrtles: A crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia)—also sometimes written as crape myrtle—is a large plant with a long blooming season from late spring throughout summer and even into early fall in warm regions. In some areas of the United States, it may be called a crape myrtle tree or a large shrub. However, it’s scientifically classified as a tree and sheds its leaves in late fall. The crepe myrtle has become a popular garden landscaping choice for its variety of flower colors, bright green leaves, and textured bark, which peels in irregular patterns, revealing a patchwork of greens, browns, and pinks. It’s also drought-tolerant and can withstand higher temperatures. The crepe myrtle offers fall foliage with vibrant leaves in orange, red, and yellow hues.
2. 2. Dogwood trees: Dogwoods are deciduous trees descending from the Cornus genus and the Cornaceae plant family. They often sprout white, yellow, or pink flowers alongside vibrant green foliage. Flowering dogwood trees vary in height and width—some grow upward of fifteen feet, while others look more like small trees or large shrubs. Give them full sun to help them flourish, or part shade will also do.
3. 3. Magnolias: Named for French botanist Pierre Magnol, magnolia trees are a genus of flowering plants. There are more than two hundred species of magnolias, each characterized as deciduous trees or evergreen trees with large fragrant flowers coming in various colors, from lilacs to pale pinks and whites. The saucer Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana) is one of the most popular cultivars, prized at botanical gardens with white, pink, and purple blooms. Magnolias’ showy, pretty flowers are often bowl- or star-shaped and can bloom starting in early spring. In warmer climates, like in San Francisco, California, magnolia trees can bloom as early as mid-January.
4. 4. Redbuds: The eastern redbud tree (Cercis canadensis) is a deciduous tree named for its bright and showy flowers. Most varieties have magenta, lavender, or rosy pink blooms, and a few varieties have white flowers. The tree blooms in springtime. In summer, it has dark green leaves, which in the fall turn yellow or amber. Eastern redbuds are medium to small trees. They have a moderate growth rate, averaging around ten feet in the first five years after planting. When fully mature, they reach twenty to thirty feet high and their branches average about twenty feet in width. It is a popular ornamental tree that can add bright color to landscaping.
5. 5. Spring snow crabapples: The Malus 'Spring Snow' crabapple is a fruitless, flowering tree that produces white blooms. These fragrant flowers appear for one to two weeks in the spring. After this time, the petals fall to cover the ground like a light dusting of snow—hence this crabapple tree’s common name. The tree is similar to the 'Donald Wyman,' another fruitless variety of crabapple with pink buds and white flowers.
6. 6. Vine maple: The vine maple is an attractive shrub or small tree so-named for its tendency to vine to companion plants when growing in shady areas. Its green spring foliage is peppered with red flourishes. In full sun areas, vine maples will reach a mature height of thirty feet tall. When planted in partial shade, they stay a bit smaller. In the spring, they produce small, purple flowers. Their green leaves give way to beautiful fall colors.
7. 7. Weeping cherry trees: Weeping cherry trees are deciduous, ornamental trees with cascading branches and clusters of flower blooms. The trees can grow up to thirty-five feet tall and wide. Its pendulous branches are soft and limp, which makes the trees droop toward the ground. As a result, weeping cherry trees have an umbrella-like appearance, similar to the weeping willow. The flowering cherry trees produce blooms that grow as single flowers or sometimes in clusters around green leaves. Weeping cherry trees will sometimes produce red cherry fruits, but these are often inedible.

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