9 Smile-Inducing Spring Flowering Trees And Shrubs
Photo of white flowering plant with dogwood-like leaves and flowers on blue sky by TOMOKO UJI on Unsplash
Updated 2024.07.23
As much as the beauty and show that some trees and shrubs give off in the autumn is a delight for the eyes and the senses, there are some woody plants that give their best visual experience during the spring.
During the spring season, it can seem like all the plants decide at once that it’s time to put on the lights, and within a week, you may find yourself walking and driving around in a floral wonderland.
Spring can be a beautiful and inspiring time of year, and there are a few trees and shrubs that contribute to this beauty.
If you are looking for new plants to add to the garden this year, why not add some that bring more brightness and bounce to your spring landscape?
Below are a few of the best spring flowering trees and shrubs to consider for your yard -
Vertical photo flower on pear tree by Janosch Diggelmann on Unsplash
1 - Common Dogwood (Cornus florida)
Up close, Dogwoods are small trees that can be identified by pulling the leaves directly apart to reveal silky, spider-web-like silky fibers in the veins of their leaf tissue.
Their pagoda-like shape and pink-white flowers in the spring identifies these small trees from afar. These beautiful little trees do well on forest edges and in landscapes where they can receive full sun to partial shade.
2 - Weeping Cherry (Prunus subhirtella x Pendula)
With branches that cascade downward, a Weeping Cherry can be identified by their delicate pink flowers, and waterfall-like growth shape.
Weeping Cherries are petite trees like Dogwoods, and their dark bark with spotted pores tend to give them away in the off-season.
All cherries have pores on their bark called lenticels, through which the trees breathe. These little spots can help you locate these gorgeous spring showy trees regardless of the time of year.
3 - Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
The Queen of the Forest, Mountain Laurels are an evergreen shrub common in, you guessed it, rugged mountain areas.
They also like dry soil and can handle partial shade environments.
They can be found near trail edges and their hexagonal-shape pink and white spring flowers are sure to stop any casual hiker in their tracks.
Mountain Laurels are great for those who like to look at blooms up close, due to the unique flower structure of this plant.
4 - Common Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea)
This is a fruit producing small tree-to-shrub that gives off white flowers in the spring and berries in the summer, hence the nickname it is sometimes given - Juneberry.
It’s in the rose family, and also gives an autumn color show with gorgeous red leaves, meaning, this multipurpose shrub has something to offer you in every season.
Service Berries are a favorite in edible landscapes, and naturally, among birds and other flying fruit-eaters.
5 - Pear (Pyrus sp.)
There are a variety of pear trees out there that flower, but not all produce fruit. Whether you choose a fruiting or ornamental (non-fruiting) pear is your choice, but they both flower.
Most pears are small trees like the Dogwood and the Weeping Cherry, but instead of having a pagoda or weeping from, they are more upright in growth shape.
Almost all pear trees produce white flowers, and can stand out tall, and quite gloriously, along a crisp-blue skyline.
6 - Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
Eastern Redbud’s growth shape is most similar to Dogwood, but that’s where the similarities end.
This small tree has a relatively short life span in tree-terms, as it lives only about twenty years, before it naturally starts to return back to the forest from which it came.
What makes this tree species unique and a must-have for your landscape, is that it produces purple flowers, making it a stand-out among spring flowering trees, which are often pink, white and yellow.
Eastern Redbud is a tree to enjoy gazing at while it lasts and a favorite in many neighborhoods.
7 - Forsythia (Forsythia sp.)
Forsythias are the happiness icon of early spring and members of the olive family.
These shrubs tend to bloom first among the flowering trees and shrubs, and they have bright, almost blinding yellow flowers that only get brighter and richer in color if the plant likes where it is growing.
Forsythia is a vigorously growing shrub and it can mature quickly. That said, while most people do their tree and shrub maintenance in fall, these shrubs have a dense growth form that makes great habitats for wildlife through the winter, so try to wait cutting this plant back as it grows until spring.
They tend to get their flower buds while it is still winter, so if you are doing any hedge or tree shaping in February and March, check for flower buds before you cut the plant back.
If the flower buds have already formed, wait until after you experience the glorious yellow burst of flowers, and see them receding, which is normally 2-3 weeks, then do your horticultural maintenance. You will be glad you waited.
8 - Magnolia (Magnolia sp.)
You do not have to live in the Southeastern United States to experience both the beauty and glory of the Magnolia!
Magnolia's flowering shape and tree height varies by species, but as long as you live in Zone 4 or better, you can find a hardy Magnolia tree that works for you.
Still, these trees can be sensitive to frost, so you will usually see them blooming later in the spring season.
If you live in a location with deciduous trees, they often flower right before all the other trees start pushing out leaves, so when you look up, they can be the highlight of an otherwise still bare-branched forest.
Their big, floppy flowers are so elegant and grandiose, it’s hard to feel anything but happiness and gratitude looking at them.
9 - Weigela (Weigela florida)
A flowering, deciduous shrub native to parts of Asia, Weigela has trumpet shaped flowers and is a known hummingbird favorite. There are different cultivated varieties of Weigela, and the flower color ranges from light pink to deeper red, so you have some options for color variety.
Because of the dense nature of this bush’s foliage, this plant is perfect for any areas where you may want a bit of privacy as well as an easy view of all the hummingbird activity.
Photo of flowering Weigela florida shrub by Ellie Burgin from Pexels
To end, these are a few flowering trees and shrubs that add diversity, beauty, and wildlife habitat to any landscape.
When planting larger landscape plants such as trees and shrubs, dig your hole before or after you pick up the plant, and fluff up the soil on the edges of the hole, before covering it with soil. This allows a grippy surface for roots to take hold and a quicker establishment.
Give your new tree or shrub plenty of water and fertilizer, and mark it off with a few bamboo gardening stakes, especially if you are not the only one doing landscape maintenance in the area.
If you have deer, also surround your small new plant in chicken wire while it is young and tender, to give it some time to establish.
The best time to plant a tree or shrub is whenever you are thinking of it.
But if you want to get specific, the best time to plant woody species like those above, is in early to mid-spring and late fall, meaning now is the time to get started.
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Photo of white flowering plant with dogwood-like leaves and flowers on blue sky by TOMOKO UJI on Unsplash with text overlay 9 Spring Flowering Trees And Shrubs That Will Put A Smile On Your Face
