27 Spectacular Spring-Blooming Trees

Spring is a time of rebirth, rejuvenation, and a bursting forth of flowers that please the bees and gardeners alike. While spring-blooming herbaceous perennials make an impact, spring-blooming trees create a whole new level of color and vibrancy in your landscape. 

Spring-blooming trees are responsible for rebuilding pollinator populations after the winter. With the help of those pollinators, their flowers are often the first step in producing the summer fruits we enjoy so much. Enjoy these stunning specimens that will bring a burst of color to the spring landscape. 

Eastern Redbud

	botanical name Cercis canadensis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 20’-30’
	hardiness zones 4-9

The Eastern Redbud tree is a gorgeous, sturdy, low-maintenance tree with great cold, wind, and water tolerance. This North American native bursts onto the scene as one of the earliest bloomers of spring. The brilliant fuschia flowers are full of nectar, drawing early-season bees and butterflies to your garden. 

After flowering, the Eastern Redbud forms heart-shaped leaves that emerge red before deepening to dark green. The tree has an irregular branching habit and forms a wonderful domed canopy. To top it off, this tree turns gold in fall for three seasons of interest. 

Royal Star Magnolia

	botanical name Magnolia stellata ‘Royal Star’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10’-20’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Evergreen magnolia trees are Southern United States staples, but did you know there are also cold-hardy magnolias? Royal Star is hardy to Zone 4 and blooms on bare branches, creating a wonderful cloud of large, white, star-shaped blooms in early spring. 

Plant this tree where it has some shelter from potential freezing winds. The flowers appear earlier than most; cold winds can damage the buds or blooms. The flowers are large and fragrant, making this a great tree to plant near your living spaces, where its beauty and perfume can be best enjoyed. 

Appalachian Joy Dogwood

	botanical name Cornus florida ‘Appalachian Joy’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 15’-25’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Dogwood trees are classic spring bloomers that offer so much beauty throughout the year. You can’t go wrong with a dogwood tree, from flowers to foliage and berries. Appalachian Joy is a particularly floriferous variety producing snowy white blooms in early spring. 

Appalachian Joy has a special characteristic that sets it apart from most varieties. The flowers, which are bracts that surround smaller flowers, are supernumerary on this tree. That means that these trees produce up to eight bracts per flower rather than having only four bracts. 

Okame Cherry

	botanical name Prunus ‘Okame’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 15’-30’
	hardiness zones 6-9

This small hybrid variety of cherry tree is easy to transplant and care for. It makes an excellent landscape focal point with its attractive shape and compact size. This tree is also wonderful to plant close to high-traffic areas where its gentle fragrance and beautiful flowers can be appreciated. 

From Canada to Florida, Okame cherry has a wide range and is tolerant of many different climates. The stunning pink blooms appear en masse in late winter before most other trees awaken from their winter dormancy. The flowers last longer than most cherry trees, as well. 

Thundercloud Plum

	botanical name Prunus cerasifera ‘Thundercloud’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 15’-20’
	hardiness zones 5-8

With a name this dramatic, you know this will be a spectacular tree. The Thundercloud plum tree has so many great qualities that praising it specifically for one season is difficult. However, the spring display from this plum tree is magnificent. It is a compact tree and produces an incredible show of fluffy pink flowers in spring.

Thundercloud also has delightfully moody, deep purple leaves, which retain color throughout the summer and fall. It also produces small, edible red fruits, adding even more color to this pretty cultivar. 

Saucer Magnolia

	botanical name Magnolia x soulangeana
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 15′-33′
	hardiness zones 4-9

Saucer Magnolias are a hybrid group commonly referred to as Japanese magnolias. These wonderful trees vary in size from large shrubs to small trees and in flower color from shades of white and pink to deeper reds and purples. 

The flowers are large and typically vase or chalice-shaped and vary in terms of fragrance as well, with most cultivars having fairly fragrant blooms. The trees are attractive with smooth gray bark and large, ovate leaves. They are vulnerable to late-season freezes because of their early-season blooming habit. 

Cherokee Chief Dogwood

	botanical name Cornus florida ‘Cherokee Chief’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 15’-30’
	hardiness zones 5-9

This dogwood might catch you by surprise with its deep, ruby-red bracts that cover every branch. This tree is a nice, compact size and is easy to care for but susceptible to anthracnose, so it requires some extra care and observation. 

The well-shaped canopy and attractive foliage and bark make this a beautiful tree all year long, but in spring, it is a spectacular addition to the landscape. This tree is a work of art that makes an excellent garden focal point. 

Japanese Lilac

	botanical name Syringa reticulata
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 20’-30’
	hardiness zones 3-7

This is not your everyday lilac shrub. Japanese lilac tree is a much larger species of the much-loved genus and a later bloomer. Japanese lilac produces large clusters of highly fragrant white flowers in late spring. With flowers appearing after leaves, this is a spectacular and dramatic tree.

In addition to its large size, Japanese lilac trees are also very tolerant of drought, salt, and alkaline soil. They are attractive to pollinators and have a rounded canopy, adding an attractive shape to the landscape. 

Sakura Cherry

	botanical name Prunus serrulata
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 15’-25’
	hardiness zones 5-8

Cherry trees are notorious for their spectacular spring blooming season. While they are pretty trees throughout the year, spring is what these trees are famous for. The Sakura cherry tree is a classic Japanese cherry that produces many fluffy, pale pink flowers. 

Sakura cherry trees are strictly ornamental, bearing no edible fruit. These trees represent human mortality and the fleetingly beautiful nature of life. An avenue of these trees is a stunning addition to a long driveway or along the border of a garden. 

Tulip Tree

	botanical name Liriodendron tulipifera
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 60’-90’
	hardiness zones 4-9

This lovely, large member of the Magnolia family is known for its showy yellow and orange flowers that appear in late spring after the tree has its leaves. The flowers resemble those of an evergreen magnolia but are smaller and appear in much larger numbers. 

The tulip-shaped flowers are pale yellow with bold orange centers. This is one of the largest native flowering trees in North America, with some specimens growing as tall as 150 feet over time. Once the tree reaches 50’, the flowers can be difficult to see as they sit up on top of branches. 

Royal Poinciana

	botanical name Delonix regia
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 30’-40’
	hardiness zones 9-11

This is one of my favorite trees, but sadly, I no longer live in a climate that will support one of these beauties. The Royal Poinciana tree is easy to grow and care for, provided you live in a warm, humid climate. The good news for those living in tropical climates that don’t commonly see the influx of spring flowers seen elsewhere: this is a huge spring bloomer. 

The flowers of Royal Poinciana are flame orange and appear in large, fluffy clusters. The tree has a wonderful, wide branching habit that creates a low, wide canopy as the tree matures. It has beautiful fernlike leaves in summer and fall and is deciduous, even in the warmest of climates. 

Jacaranda

	botanical name Jacaranda mimosifolia
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 25’-30’
	hardiness zones 10-11

Jacaranda trees are very similar to Royal Poinciana trees in appearance and habit. They have similar fronds of fernlike leaves and reach a similar height but with a slightly more oval-shaped crown compared with the lower dome of the former. The most noteworthy difference between these trees is the flower color. Jacaranda has the most stunning blue-purple flower clusters.

The unique color of the flowers and the profusion with which they appear make this a wonderful landscape element for the tropical gardener. It grows well from seed and matures within only a handful of years. Jacaranda trees are not cold tolerant at all and will not survive temperatures below 30°F (-1°C).

Yoshino Cherry

	botanical name Prunus x yedoensis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 30’-40’
	hardiness zones 5-8

Yoshino is another stunning ornamental cherry tree with a magnificent early spring show. The flowers are a paler pink than many of its relatives, with just a whisper of blush in the petals and a slightly deeper center. This tree blooms so prolifically that it almost looks unreal.

This small tree is drought-tolerant and likes to be planted in full sun. The flowers appear before foliage and create fluffy, sweet, almond-scented clouds of flowers in the early spring landscape. The summer foliage is deep green and glossy, turning golden in fall. 

Agincourt Beauty Lilac

	botanical name Syringa vulgaris ‘Agincourt Beauty’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8’-15’
	hardiness zones 3-7

Considered among the most beautiful lilac cultivars, Agincourt Beauty is a carnival for the senses. Although not a large tree, and more suited to a large shrub shape, what this plant lacks in stature, it makes up for in beauty and fragrance. 

The blue-green, heart-shaped leaves set the stage for this late spring bloomer. Agincourt Beauty produces deep purple buds that open into gorgeously rich purple flowers in large clusters. This variety has the largest individual flowers of any lilac. It is also very attractive to pollinators with its pleasing fragrance. 

Canada Plum

	botanical name Prunus nigra
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 20’-30’
	hardiness zones 4-9

Canada plum is typically used as a pollinator for other types of hybrid plums and bears edible fruit that can be eaten raw or made into jams. This is a small to medium-sized fruit tree that produces wonderful, fragrant blossoms in early spring before the leaves unfurl. 

When it comes to spring-blooming trees, fruit trees are always high on my list because they’re not just beautiful. They also produce delicious fruits to enjoy next season. Canada plum flowers are white to pale pink, both appearing on the same tree and resembling apple blossoms. 

Apple Serviceberry

	botanical name Amelanchier arborea
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 15’-25’
	hardiness zones 4-9

This Rosaceae family hybrid will bring beauty to the garden year-round. Attractive grey bark looks nice in winter, and blue-green leaves in summer turn vermillion in autumn, setting off deep blue berries. But we are here to talk about spring flowers, and this tree brings them for sure. 

Right about the same time the tree begins to produce leaves, the ends of branches all burst into bloom with clusters of white flowers. The flowers are pleasantly fragrant, and the blue fruits they produce are also edible. 

Carolina Silverbell

	botanical name Halesia carolina
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 30’-40’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Carolina Silverbell is an attractive tree best suited to moist and cool climates. The best place for planting this tree is in partial shade and organically rich, acidic soil that holds moisture but also drains properly. 

Avoid planting this tree in coastal areas, as it is not salt tolerant. In spring, this multitrunked tree will produce leaves and flowers simultaneously. The flowers are plentiful, bell-shaped, and snow-white. Carolina Silverbell is a tree with great longevity, living up to 100 years in the right environment. 

White Fringetree

	botanical name Chionanthus virginicus
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 12’-30’
	hardiness zones 3-9

For some reason, white fringetree seems less popular than other spring-blooming trees, but I am here to sing its praises as a great focal point in the spring garden. The compact, multitrunked tree fits into even smaller garden spaces, rarely reaching taller than 20 feet at maturity. 

In spring, fringetree blooms big time with fluffy, white flowers that look like fluff balls at the end of every branch. The unique flowers make this an especially bold choice, and they are wonderfully fragrant as well.

Prairie Fire Crabapple

	botanical name Malus ‘Prairie Fire’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 15’-20’
	hardiness zones 4-8

You may have heard that the jury is divided on whether or not crabapples are edible. I can’t speak to that, but in terms of aesthetic beauty, they are truly spectacular in the spring. 

‘Prairie Fire’ is certainly a stand-out variety of this group of flowering trees. This one blooms so profusely that the branches look as though they are heavily flocked. Mounds of brilliant magenta flowers are lightly fragrant and positively glow in the garden. 

Fothergilla

	botanical name Fothergilla
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6’-10’
	hardiness zones 5-9

This plant falls more into the category of a large shrub, but its blooms rival any full-sized tree in the spring landscape. Fothergilla is adaptable and unfussy, requiring little of its owner. White, bottlebrush-like flowers appear at the same time as green foliage. These flowers are composed entirely of stamens. 

The foliage turns deep green in the summer and then lights up the fall landscape in shades of yellow, red, and orange, all on the same plant. It can grow in sun or partial shade but will flower best with full sun. 

Iwai Nishiki Quince

	botanical name Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Iwai Nishiki’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6’-10’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Another large shrub rather than a tree, ‘Iwai Nikishi’ quince is a wonderful bloomer. This plant springs to life in late winter, producing bold, large, double-petal form flowers with golden yellow stamens. The flowers are quite large and bright, so although they are less bountiful than some others on the list, they stand out wonderfully against the late winter grays. 

Small, yellow fruits follow the flowers. The fruits are pretty and edible but a bit tart, so they are best used in baking and making jams. Quince plants are fairly drought tolerant once established and grow well in full sun or partial shade.

Yellow Trumpet Tree

	botanical name Handroanthus chrysotrichus
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 25’-35’
	hardiness zones 10-11

Yellow trumpet tree, also called golden trumpet tree, is a wonderful focal point and a bountiful spring bloomer. It can be kept smaller as a large container tree if you prefer to be able to move it around to enjoy the amazing floral display that this tree puts on in spring. 

Sometimes evergreen but often deciduous, this is a warm-weather tree that won’t tolerate a hard freeze. In spring, massive amounts of bright yellow flowers look like they might weigh down the branches. The flowers can continue to bloom sporadically throughout the summer as well. 

Weeping Extraordinaire Cherry

	botanical name Prunus x ‘Extrazam’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 15’-20’
	hardiness zones 5-8

It would be hard to find a more beautiful spring-blooming tree than the ‘Weeping Extraordinaire’ cherry tree. Its lovely weeping habit makes it a stunning tree in summer and fall. The limbs sway gently in a breeze. This is a wonderful focal point tree, and it doesn’t need much space for maximum impact. 

In the spring, large, double-petaled flowers bloom in heavy clusters all over the tree’s branches. All cherry trees are beautiful in the spring, but there is something about the shape of this tree and its elegant growth habit that makes it a favorite of mine. 

Stellar Ruby Magnolia

	botanical name Magnolia x ‘Stellar Ruby’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10’-15’
	hardiness zones 7-9

‘Stellar Ruby’ is unique among magnolia trees. It is an evergreen, warm-weather tree occasionally referred to as banana tree because of the scent of its flowers. The flowers are deep ruby red with yellow stamens, and they smell like a mix of tropical flowers and bananas. 

This magnolia has been bred to have better cold tolerance than its evergreen relatives, but it won’t survive north of Zone 7. In Zones 7-8, plant this tree in a sheltered spot, giving it a thick layer of mulch in late fall. 

Rainbow Shower Tree

	botanical name Cassia javanica
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 30’-50’
	hardiness zones 10-11

This is not a tree for cold climates. It can only be grown in the ground in Zones 10-11, so it is one of those rare, tropical spring bloomers that those in the southernmost zones will appreciate. This is a hybrid variety of cassia tree, bred for the color of its flowers. 

Because it is a cross between golden and pink varieties, the flowers on Rainbow Shower can range between those shades, from white to pink and yellow. The flower color spans a wide range on the same tree. 

Oklahoma Redbud

	botanical name Cercis canadensis var. texensis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 20’-30’
	hardiness zones 6-9

Redbud trees truly make some of the greatest impacts on the spring garden. They bloom very early, at the end of winter, leading the way for spring to follow. Oklahoma redbud is a small cultivar, reaching only 20 feet or less. It fits well into most garden spaces. 

Oklahoma redbud produces many flowers in late winter and early spring. The branches become covered in small, pinkish-purple flowers that light up the landscape. The summer foliage is quite attractive as well. 

Ann Magnolia

	botanical name Magnolia liliiflora ‘Nigra’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8’-12’
	hardiness zones 5-8

This special magnolia has an interesting story. She is one of the National Arboretum series of ‘Little Girls.’ These hybrid, deciduous magnolias were bred for their compact size, cold tolerance, and beautiful spring floral displays. 

Ann is one of the more popular of the eight girls and has the darkest flowers. Chalice-shaped flowers bloom in early spring and are deep purple-red. These rather large flowers face upward and have a tulip-like appearance.