Flowering TreesMaster Gardener Core Training

Gerald Klingaman

and

Janet Carson

Cooperative Extension Service

Flowering trees

• Are accent points in the landscape plan

• Massed plantings give most impact

• Usually produce more blooms if given at least six hours of sunlight

• Being smaller plants, can be planted within five feet of the foundation of a home without concern

Flowering Dogwood• Cornus florida• Height 20 feet• Spread 25 feet• Growth rate - slow

to medium• Hardy zones 5 to 9• Moist but well

drained soil• Some afternoon

shade or high understory best

Flowering Dogwood

Pink Flowering Dogwood

Avoiding Dogwood Problems

• Plant in the right location and water as needed

• Avoid stress to reduce the chance of borers

• Don’t wound the trunk to avoid borers

• Put dogwoods where the foliage will dry early in the morning to avoid powdery mildew

Cornus kousa the Japanese Dogwood

Cornus kousa x C. florida Stellar Dogwood

Eastern Redbud• Cercis canadensis• Height - 25 feet• Spread - 25 feet• Growth rate - fast• Hardy zones 3 - 9• Best in full sun. • Transplants best

from container grown plants.

• Seed pods unsightly in winter

• Trunks can split in ice storms

White Redbud

Golden Raintree• Koelreuteria

paniculata• Height - 35 feet• Spread - 30 feet• Growth rate -

medium • Hardy zones 5 -9• Best transplanted

from container grown plants in spring.

• Very drought tolerant.

Golden Raintree

Bradford Pear • Pyrus calleryana• Height - 40 feet• Spread - 35 feet• Growth rate - fast• Hardy zones 4 - 9• Very formal in

appearance with many branches creating weak trees.

• Multiple seasons of beauty but overplanted.

Problems with Bradford Pear

• Formal shape limits their use to formal landscape settings

• Larger than most people realize• Break because of limb structure - prune up

and thin out excess limbs• Fruiting can result in escaped seedlings• Select more narrow clones to avoid

problems with the broad-spreading crown getting too large.

Buying Time by Severe PruningOne year after severe pruning

Capitol Flowering Pear

Fastigiate European Hornbeam• Carpinus betulus

• Height - 45 feet• Spread - 15 feet• Growth rate - slow• Hardy zones 4 - 8• Good substitute for

Bradford pear. • Very formal

appearance.

Crapemyrtle• Lagerstroemia indica• Height - 5 to 35 feet• Spread - 5 to 20 feet• Growth rate - medium• Hardy zones 7 - 9• Beautiful summer flower-

ing tree of the south. Blooms white, pink, purple and red.

• Transplant in spring.• Winterkill once a decade

in north Arkansas

Near East Crapemyrtle

Natchez L. x fauriei hybrid

Crapemurder

Southern Magnolia• Magnolia

grandiflora• Height - 100 ft• Spread - 80 ft• Growth rate -

medium• Beautiful specimen

but needs lots of room.

• Long lived.• Named selections

available

Southern Magnolia

Magnolia Little Gem

Saucer Magnolia• Magnolia

soulangiana• Height - 35 feet• Spread - 25 feet• Growth rate - slow• Hardy zones 4 - 9• Blooms very early

and flowers often destroyed by frost. Many hybrids and selections.

Saucer Magnolia Star Magnolia

Japanese Flowering

Cherries

• Prunus yedoensis• Height - 35 feet• Spread - 35 feet• Growth rate - medium• Hardy zones 5 - 8• Must have good drain-

age. Susceptible to a host of insect and disease problems but among the most beautiful small trees when in bloom in the spring.

Crabapples• Malus sp.• Height - 20 - 35 ft.• Spread - 10 - 40 ft.• Growth rate -

medium to fast• Hardy zones 3 - 8• Dependable spring

blooming tree with blooms in shades of pink, red and white. Plant only disease resistant selections.

Crabapples

Select Disease Resistant Crabapples

• Major diseases of crabapples in Arkansas include apple scab, fire blight, and cedar apple rust

• Resistant selections include Prairie Fire, Callaway, Donald Wyman, Sparkler, and many others

• Spraying is not recommended for landscape plantings unless in really critical site. For apple scab spray with fruit fungicide at bloom drop and twice as new growth appears.

Some Less Common Flowering Trees

FringetreeGrancy Gray Beard

• Chionanthus virginicus• Height – 20 feet• Spread – 15 feet• Growth Rate – slow• Flowers after dogwood• An interesting, but

uncommon native for the semi-shaded yard

Japanese Snowbell

• Styrax japonica• Heitht – 25 feet• Spread – 15 feet• Growth Rate – slow• Blooms appear in April• Plant near patios or

entries where flowers can be viewed up close

Witchhazel

• Hamamelis vernalis• Height – 15 feet• Spread – 15 feet• Growth Rate – slow• Blooms in mid winter• Flowers small so plant

where it can be enjoyed up close

Ozark Witchhazel

Chastetree

• Vitex agnus-castus• Height –15 feet• Spread – 20 feet• Growth rate – medium• Flowers in June• In northern Arkansas

plants can winterkill in severe winter