| Most flowering trees are small and can be planted | | | | popular Japanese cultivars are; Blireiana, Prunus |
| in full sun or partial shade, being easily adapted to | | | | cerasifera 'Blireiana'; Kwansan, Prunus serrulata |
| small yards. The Japanese Saucer Magnolia, | | | | 'Kwansan'; Okame, Prunus campanulata x Prunus |
| Magnolia x Soulangiana, awakens in late winter or | | | | incisa; Snow Fountain, Prunus x Snow Fountains |
| early spring. First growing flower buds that | | | | 'Snowfozam'; Snow Fountain (Dwarf), Prunus x |
| increase in size as the weather warms up, burst | | | | CV. 'Snofozam'; Yoshino (Akebone), Prunus |
| into dramatic flower colors of purple, pink, white, | | | | yedoenis 'Akebone'; |
| red, and yellow; the yellow flowering magnolia is | | | | William Bartram observed two other native plants |
| the rarest. If freezing weather occurs, as it often | | | | that were flowering trees growing near Mobile, |
| does during the late winter or early spring, the | | | | Alabama, on page 396 of Travels, "I observed |
| flowers will wither from the tree, but most often | | | | amongst them wild Crab (Pyrus coronaria), and |
| will rebloom, as the weather warms up again. | | | | Prunus indica, or wild Plumb." The wild "Plumb" |
| Crabapple flowering trees are cloud-like, fluffy | | | | tree, Prunus indica, that Bartram saw, identified |
| white, pink or red in color, and often bloom along | | | | today was the Chicasaw plum, Prunus angustifolia. |
| with the flowering dogwood trees and the pink | | | | In his travels throughout Georgia, Bartram found |
| redbud trees. The white dogwood, Cornus florida, | | | | a native flowering plum, Prunus indica. Flowering |
| flowering trees are among the most generally | | | | plum tree hybrids that are commercially available |
| planted and grafted pink dogwood cultivars, and | | | | from mail order gardeners are a stunning, |
| red dogwood trees are available to buy | | | | reddish-purple leaf plum, named Newport, Prunus |
| commercially, but are much more expensive. | | | | cerasifera 'Newport', that grows 20 feet tall and |
| White dogwood trees, Cornus florida, were | | | | thrives in zones 4 - 10; Purple Pony, Prunus |
| discovered and described as growing in Florida and | | | | cerasifera 'Purple Pony', a genetic dwarf growing |
| Alabama in 1773, by the famous American | | | | only to 10 feet and decked in flowers colored red, |
| botanist and explorer, William Bartram, who wrote | | | | pink, and white; Thundercloud, Prunus cerasifera |
| in his book, Travels, page 399, "We now entered | | | | 'Thundercloud', grows copper-red leaves, that |
| a very remarkable grove of Dogwood Trees | | | | after flowering, produces a delicious, edible, red |
| (Cornus Florida) ... an ... admirable grove by way of | | | | plum fruit, zone 5 - 9. |
| eminence has acquired the name of the | | | | Crabapple flowering trees are reliable bloomers |
| Dogwoods ... spacious groves of this fine flowering | | | | with soft, fluffy flowers, in the early spring of red, |
| tree, which must, in the Spring season, when | | | | pink, or white, with outstanding cultivars of Pink |
| covered with blooms, present a most pleasing | | | | (Brandywine), Malus 'Brazam'; Red Perfection, |
| scene." | | | | Malus 'Red'; Red, Malus eleyi; Radiant, Malus pumila |
| Flowering cherry trees in the primitive wild forests | | | | 'Niedzwetzkyana Radiant'; White (Spring Snow), |
| were described by William Bartram, in his book | | | | Malus 'Spring Snow'; White (Floribunda), Malus |
| Travels, on page 196, as "delightful grove of ... | | | | 'Floribunda'; Wildlife animals experience long-term |
| Prunus Caroliniana, a most beautiful evergreen, | | | | food availability from the crabapple fruit, |
| decorated with its sweet, white blossoms." This | | | | intensively grazed upon especially by deer, duck, |
| flowering cherry tree today is known as the | | | | and turkey. |
| Cherry Laurel, and is in high demand as an | | | | William Bartram also found the wild American, |
| evergreen privacy screen that produces in late | | | | native flowering tree, the Grancy Greybeard, |
| spring, fragrant white flowers. American | | | | Chionanthus virginicus, growing as an under story |
| gardeners have been struck with the beauty of | | | | plant, as described in his book, Travels, written in |
| the long list of varieties of Japanese, flowering | | | | 1773, page 7. Gracy Greybeard, Chionanthus |
| cherry trees. The most important Japanese | | | | virginicus, is also known as the Fringe Tree, |
| flowering cherry tree is the Kwanzan, Prunus | | | | covered with rounded creamy-white clusters of |
| serrulata 'Kwanzan', that grows splendidly as a | | | | deliciously fragrant blooms. These trees grow to |
| beautiful garden specimen, abundantly clothed in | | | | 30 feet and are very cold hardy to zone 3 - 9. |
| early spring with large, double-flowering blossoms, | | | | Chionanthus virginicus is a very rare tree, and is |
| that grows up to 25 feet tall. 350 of these trees | | | | very difficult to find or buy from a mail order |
| were planted in Washington, D.C., in 1912, by the | | | | company nursery. |
| First Lady, wife of President Taft, and 1800 | | | | Flowering pear trees, Pyrus calleryana, are well |
| Yoshino flowering cherries were planted at the | | | | known to most gardeners, and the trees being |
| same time. In 1935, the first National Cherry | | | | early flowering in March, abundantly covered with |
| Blossom Festival was held at the Nation's Capitol, | | | | white clusters of flowers. Outstanding cultivars of |
| and since then, many other Cherry Blossom City | | | | flowering pear trees are: Aristocrat, Pyrus |
| festivals have been held to celebrate the birth of | | | | calleryana 'Aristocrat'; Autumn Blaze, Pyrus calley |
| spring. Citizens of Macon, Georgia have planted | | | | calleyana 'Autumn Blaze';, Bradford Ornamental |
| thousands of these Yoshino flowering cherry | | | | Pear, Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford'; Cleveland Select |
| trees to connect with many pageants and local | | | | Pear, Pryus calleryana 'Cleveland Select'; and |
| events, which attract large numbers of tourists to | | | | Chanticleer Flowering Pear, Pyrus calleryana |
| celebrate the festival. These Japanese, flowering | | | | 'Chanticleer'; Many large cities line out flowering |
| cherry trees are cold hardy, and recommended | | | | pear trees in well positioned rows along |
| to be grown and planted in zones 5 - 9. Other | | | | boulevards and sidewalks for spring enjoyment. |