Fringe Tree, Kousa Dogwood, Redbud, Hawthorns are Other Flowering Trees OverLooked

Well a major thunderstorm just passed through our area and all appears well at my home and the neighbors.

I wanted to conclude my recommendation for other flowering trees to consider in your landscape. Then it is time to move on to vegetable and annual flower planting for the next several blogs.
　
Several additional small trees to consider for late spring or early summer flowering are:



Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

The Eastern Redbud is a small tree which has reddish purple buds opening to pink which appear to line the branches of the tree.

The Redbud can be used as a specimen tree, planted in groupings, worked into shrub borders or planted in a naturalized wooded setting. The tree does well in moist and well-drained soils and is generally transplanted in the spring or fall.

Chinese Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa var. chinensis)

For many people who want the flowers of the Flowering Dogwood or have trouble keeping a Flowering Dogwood alive this species of dogwood can be an alternative.

Like the Flowering Dogwood, the white bracts of the Chinese Kousa Dogwood are what people notice and inaccurately refer toas  the flowers. The tree blooms later than the Flowering Dogwood around June  and the flowers (bracts) appear when this variety of dogwoods is fully leafed out.

The most popular variety is ‘Milky Way’ Chinese Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa var chinensis ‘Milky Way’) as the tree's flower bracts are large and really almost overtake the green leaves of this small tree.
　

　














White Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus)

There are male (flower production only) and female (fruit bearing) varieties of the tree and the tree’s flowers are referred to as being dioecious (will discuss in a later blog about flower types). Regardless, ask for the male flowering White Fringe Tree when shopping.

The flowers on the tree are fleecy long white fragrant panicles, which appear in June after the tree has leafed out. The female tree does produce a dark blue fleshy fruit, which is interesting and can be effective in September.

The White Fringe Tree is a real pleasure to come upon in the landscape when it is used as a small specimen tree or used in the shrub border.

　













Hawthorn (Crateagus species)

There are many varieties of Hawthornes to consider for the landscape. Hawthornes bloom late in the spring (mostly white flowering though there are some pink and red flowering) ; have reasonably attractive summer foliage, fall colors are shades of red, and there are varieties which are heavy fruiters which appear in the fall and remain on the tree through the winter.

That being said, other than a few varieties, Hawthornes produce thorns which tempers the use of the tree in the landscape.