by Jennifer Poindexter
Do you live in a warmer climate? Are you searching for flowering trees to liven up your landscape? You’ve come to the right place. I’m going to provide a list of gorgeous trees that will brighten up the dullest of yards.
Don’t worry about scorching temperatures. These trees should produce beautifully even under hotter conditions.
Planting flowering trees is a wonderful, and frugal, way of revitalizing your home. Here are some choices for flowering trees in planting zones seven and higher.
1. Citrus Trees
When you think of warmer climates, you may also think of citrus trees. I love the idea of planting gorgeous trees in my yard which also function.
Citrus trees can do both. They produce beautiful blooms throughout the year, depending upon variety, and also delicious fruit. If you want beautiful trees to bloom and produce something edible, consider growing any variety of citrus. Most citrus trees are hardy in zones nine through eleven.
2. Sourwood
I live in planting zone eight, and we have an abundance of sourwood on our property. If you raise bees, as we do, you’ll learn to appreciate such a tree. As the bees harvest from the tree, you’ll get sourwood honey in return. It’s a delicious treat.
However, if you’d only like the tree for aesthetic purposes, it can provide in this way as well. It can grow to be thirty feet in height, and it produces bell-shaped blooms which hang down from the foliage. The foliage is used for making tea as well. This tree is hardy in planting zones five through nine.
3. Flowering Dogwood
Dogwoods have many varieties, but they’re gorgeous trees which seem to fit in well with most landscapes.
Their bloom color varies by type, but it’s common to see them in white or pink. They’re also known for being hardy from planting zone three through eight.
4. Chitalpa
The chitalpa tree is one which is sure to standout in your yard. To begin, it looks like any other tree with dark green foliage.
However, when it blooms, it can’t help but grab your attention. The tree produces flowers which look similar to a hibiscus bloom. This tree is hardy in planting zones six through nine.
5. Redbud
The redbud tree is a traditional favorite when it comes to flowering trees. It can grow to be approximately thirty feet and does well in partial to full sun.
Yet, you can’t help but notice this tree when blooming because it lights up everything around it with it’s bright reddish, pinkish blooms. It’s also one of the first things to bloom in spring. This tree is hardy in planting zones four through nine.
6. Southern Magnolia
This behemoth of a tree was made for southern climates. It can handle sandy soil and mild flooding. It will begin to produce large magnolia flowers in spring and summer.
However, be aware that this tree can grow to be anywhere from sixty to eighty feet tall. It’s also hardy in planting zones six through ten.
7. Prairifire Flowering Crabapple
This flowering tree will put on a display of color all year long. It starts its display in the spring when it produces pink or red blooms.
When summer rolls around the foliage becomes a rich green color with accents. It finishes the year up with a golden color in the fall. It’s also disease resistant. This could be a great choice if you reside in planting zones three through eight.
8. American Holly
Have you ever seen a giant holly tree? Chances are it was an American holly tree. It grows to be almost fifty feet tall.
However, it catches many people’s eye because of the white blooms it forms which eventually turn into bright red berries. If you’d like this decorative giant around your home, it would be a good choice in planting zones five through nine.
9. Crape Myrtle
I’m from the south. Therefore, it’s no wonder I’m partial to crape myrtle. There are many varieties which allow the plant to take different shapes and form a multitude of bloom colors.
It’s also great for withstanding hot temperatures while still producing gorgeous colors. Crape myrtles like humidity and can even tolerate drought. If you live in planting zones six through ten, this could be a great choice for you.
10. Horse Chestnut
The horse chestnut tree is also known as the buckeye tree. This tree works well in a variety of settings.
It will produce spikes of colorful blooms which protrude from the tree during the middle of spring. They do best in full sun but can thrive in planting zones three through eight.
11. Firecracker Plant
The firecracker plant is also known as a red buckeye. This shouldn’t be confused with the buckeye tree mentioned earlier. This is a smaller tree which is sometimes referred to as a shrub because it only grows to be approximately twenty-five feet in height.
The plant blooms in spring, and you can’t help but notice it. They produce spikes which stick out of the tree and have heavy, red blooms which hang down. This plant is a great candidate for planting zones ten and higher.
12. Mimosa
Mimosa trees are gorgeous but must be planted with care. They’re considered invasive in certain areas and this should be taken into consideration prior to planting.
However, if you’re cleared to make them a part of your landscape, you should enjoy their beauty. They produce bright, fluffy flowers in late spring and early summer. This flowering tree does well in planting zones six through ten.
13. Royal Poinciana
This tree is breath-takingly gorgeous. It begins with foliage similar to that of a fern. Over the summer, the tree produces red flowers with an orange tint.
If you’d love a unique and colorful tree, this could be a great choice for you. Royal poinciana grows best in planting zones ten through twelve.
14. Royal Empress
The royal empress tree is another large tree which demands your attention when in bloom. It begins producing bell-shaped, purple flowers during the spring.
However, it does take the tree five or more years to begin producing these gorgeous blossoms. If you have room for a larger tree, consider growing the royal empress. It does best in planting zones seven through ten.
15. Sago Palm
We complete this list with a tree which doesn’t necessarily flower, but it’s foliage is a wonderful addition to many warmer landscapes.
The sago palm tree is a petite plant which isn’t even a palm tree. It produces rich green fronds that provide a tropical feel. If you’re looking for a tropical plant that provides color all year long, this tree could be a great fit if you live in planting zones nine and ten.
These are fifteen flowering trees which grow well in the warmer planting zones. Some assume living in cold climates is a huge hurdle.
However, planting things where the temperatures become unbearably hot can prove challenging as well. Hopefully this list will inspire a landscape, around your home, that will be functional while providing beauty.
More About Flowering Trees
https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6805
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