Spring-flowering trees

Molly Dean

Nothing captures the idea of spring overcoming

the bleakness of winter better than a spring-flowering tree.

In what seems like a miracle, clouds of

blossoms cloak bare branches -- clouds that look as if

they might be blown away by a single puff of wind.

Some of the earliest blooms have a particularly fragile,

fleeting quality, perhaps because of their inevitable war

with what remains of winter. Late snowfalls or freezing

rain sometimes does its

best to spoil the moment.

In other springs,

however, the magnolias and

cherries burst into blossom

during a halcyon

period of warm, sunny

days that last and last.

These are the truly magical

times that cause so

many gardeners to go

dashing off to nurseries

to buy a few more flowering

trees. Considering

their vast number and

diversity, choosing an

ornamental tree can be difficult.

CHERRIES AND PLUMS

Ornamental plums are

among the best small

trees for home gardens.

Plums belong to the large

genus Prunus, which also

includes almonds,

apricots, peaches and cherries.

In my area of the country, the northeast Georgia

mountains, plums usually come to life in March. Their

dark, twiggy branches cloaked with soft, feathery-looking

flowers have always reminded me of Oriental paintings.

The flowering plum (Prunus x blireiana, winter hardy

to U.S.D.A. Zone 5) is one of the first of all flowering

trees to bloom. It bears masses of double pink flowers,

often mistaken for those of a cherry. The blossoms

appear before the bronzy-red leaves and are so profuse

that they nearly hide the stems.

The leaves of the purple-leaf plum (P. cerasifera

`Atropurpurea,' Zone 3) remain a distinctive purple-red

throughout the summer. This unusual color make this

tree highly ornamental; however, the purple-leaf plum

also has other pleasing attributes. The tree itself grows

into a graceful fanlike form, usually 20 to 25 feet tall.

Single, pale pink flowers

are followed by attractive

purple fruits that are small

but edible.

Ornamental plum trees

may be planted in any well-drained,

fertile soil in full

sun or light shade.

In general, plum trees

are described as having an

elegant yet rugged appearance;

their flowering creates

a subtle effect in the

landscape. Less subtle are

the flowering cherries.

Flowering cherries are

admired the world over,

but perhaps nowhere more

than in Japan. Japanese

gardeners value not only

the soft, luscious-looking

flowers, but also the general

artistic effect of the

trees -- their form, bark

texture, foliage and color.

The best-known flowering

cherries on this continent

are those surrounding the Tidal Basin in Washington,

D.C. Prominent in this planting is the Yoshino cherry

(Prunus yedoensis, Zone 5) -- a tree that inspires fanatical

devotion. I know a gardener whose main objection to

moving from the handsome older home where she had

lived for 20 years was the idea of being parted from her

own Yoshinos. This cherry possesses an exquisite beauty:

its profusion of small, faintly fragrant flowers range from

soft blush pink to white and give an ethereal, misty effect.

These flowers open in early spring, like those of the plum,

even before the leaves appear. The Yoshino is a

fast-growing, bushy tree, often achieving a height of 25 feet.

The cherry I am especially devoted to is the weeping

Higan cherry (Prunus subhirtella `Pendula,' Zone 5). Last

spring my own weeping cherry, which I had planted about

six years before, finally achieved a degree of glorious

maturity, with branches cascading to the ground. It

looked for all the world like a shimmering pink fountain.

"Please don't carry on about it any more," members of

my family begged after hearing my frequent rhapsodies

of admiration for the tree. I must state, however, that it

was an incredible sight against the green of

spring grass or a clear blue sky. It is hard to

envision a better specimen tree, graceful and

elegant throughout all seasons. I also enjoy the

muted color of its foliage in the fall; the leaves

turn a subtle yellow with overtones of apricot

and peach.

The list of lovely cherries goes on and on.

The showy, ruffled flowers of Prunus serrulata

`Kwanzan' (Zone 5) are a deeper, rosier pink,

sometimes criticized as being "unsubtle." This is

one of the easiest-to-grow ornamental trees,

often reaching the impressive size of 30 feet or more.

Prunus serrulata `Shogetsu' (Zone 5) gives an airy,

delicate look to a garden, almost as if a cloud has come down

to rest. Its many-petalled flowers are pale pink and white.

Almost all cherries prefer full sun or light shade and

should be planted in moist, well-drained soil.

CRAB APPLES

A treat last spring was to see a wild crab apple tree

blooming in a neighbor's country garden. Admiring its

blush-pink blossoms, sweet-smelling and swarming with

bees, I was reminded of a white-blossomed tree at my

childhood home. My mother chose and planted it when I

had barely begun grade school; I believe it was a Sargent

crab apple (Malus sargentii, Zone 4). I still remember the

dark red "fairy apples," as I called them, that spilled on

the ground every fall.

Crab apples are admired for their fragrant single or

double blossoms, which may be white, rosy-pink, burgundy

or deep reddish violet. The fruits, attractive to

birds, are usually 2 inches or less in diameter. Most

varieties produce edible fruits that can be used for jelly,

butter or pickles.

Being relatively small trees, crab apples are appropriate

choices for intimate settings. Despite their lovely

appearance, most have the ability to withstand city problems

such as traffic fumes and pollution. They are not

fussy about soils or cold winters (most are hardy to Zone

4). Leaf diseases can be a problem; look for varieties that

are resistant to apple scab, fireblight and cedar apple rust.

The Japanese flowering crab (Malus floribunda) is

noted for graceful, curving branches and fragrant, profuse

pink flowers. `Brandywine' has deeper tones than

others: warm rose-pink flowers and dark foliage flushed

with red. `Red Jade' is spectacular in fall with its bright

clusters of fruit, hanging heavily from arching branches.

This cultivar bears single white flowers that open from

deep pink buds.

MAGNOLIAS

A scene remains etched on my mind from years ago: a

glimpse into a walled garden in Suffolk, England, with a

white rope hammock strung between trees and encircled

with a grove of saucer magnolias. Above, blossoms like

great rosy-purple tulips still clung to leafy branches. The

grass below was covered with a carpet of their petals.

For sheer visual impact, it is hard to beat the magnolias.

These small, generally slow-growing trees produce

fragrant flowers with a uniquely exotic look. The strong

fragrance is difficult to describe; sometimes its seems to

have a hint of lemon, sometimes the heavy sweetness I

associate with Oriental lilies.

One of the first magnolias to bloom is the star magnolia

(Magnolia stellata, Zone 3). Furry buds are discernible

on the tree during the winter; then come the double white

blossoms, which have, indeed, a very starry effect.

Because of its low branching habit, the star magnolia is

often grown as a large shrub. I have seen specimens 20

feet tall, with lower branches trailing to the ground.

My family enjoys a `Merrill' magnolia (Magnolia

x loebneri `Merrill,' Zone 4) as a specimen tree on a

section of lawn next to a white bird bath. This is a

white-flowering magnolia, loosely pyramidal in shape and

faster-growing than other varieties. Another early

magnolia, it comes into bloom a week or more before the

popular saucer magnolias.

The saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangiana, Zone

5) must be one of the most photographed flowering trees.

Its leathery-textured, long-lasting flowers are rosy-purple

on the outside and white inside. Smooth, silvery-gray

bark and shapely branches give the tree visual appeal in

winter. Many good cultivars exist, including the

late-blooming `Alexandrina.'

One of my goals is to plant one of the yellow-flowering

magnolias, which look so appealing in catalogs. Magnolia

acuminata cordata `Miss Honeybee' (Zone 5) is one I've

admired; it has unusual blossoms of a clear, bright yellow

with twisted petals. This variety of the yellow cucumber

tree is unusually vigorous and may eventually attain a

size of 30 to 40 feet!

An important point to remember about magnolias is

that, unlike most other spring-flowering trees, they are

best planted while in bloom. Their tender, fleshy roots

recover from transplanting more rapidly in spring, while

they are actively growing. Magnolias thrive in rich,

moisture-retentive soils and need to be protected from

strong winds and late frosts.

OTHER SPRING-FLOWERING TREES

The Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis, Zone 4), often

seen growing wild in woodlands alongside dogwoods,

makes an excellent addition to home landscapes. This is a

small, sturdy tree that comes into flower a little later than

the plums, cherries and magnolias. Its rose-purple blossoms

are unusual, being borne in clusters and shaped like

pea blossoms. The flowers are followed by heart-shaped

green leaves that turn yellow in the fall.

Cultivars of the wild Chinese pear (Pyrus calleryana,

Zone 4) appear in more landscapes every year, and for

good reason. The old standard among ornamental pears,

`Bradford,' has been eclipsed by superior varieties such as

`Chanticleer,' `Aristocrat' and `Autumn Blaze.' As well

as abundant clustered white flowers and brilliant red fall

color, these trees have distinctive oval or rounded shapes

formed by their upright branches. Ornamental pears are

useful in formal gardens or streetside plantings. Like the

crab apple, this is a tough tree, able to tolerate many of

the stresses of city life.

If I had a very small garden and could only

choose one ornamental spring-flowering tree,

I would choose the weeping pear (Pyrus salici-folia

`Pendula' or `Silver Frost,' Zone 4). This

tree isn't noted for its blossom, though it does

have delicate white flowers appearing at the

same time as the leaves. Instead, it is revered

for its drooping branches cloaked with lovely,

silver-gray, willowlike foliage. A well-known

weeping pear takes center stage at Vita

Sackville-West's much-photographed white

garden at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent,

England. This tree likes sun and well-drained

soil. Fireblight, a bacterial disease, can be a

significant problem in some areas.

PLANTING AND CARE

The roots of bare-root trees must never be

allowed to dry out. If you must wait a few days

before planting, keep the tree in a cool garage

with the roots surrounded by moist packing

material. A few hours before planting,

remove the packing and soak the roots in cool

water. Because bare-root plants are in a

dormant state, they should be planted in early

spring before they leaf out. In warm-winter

areas of the country, they may be planted in

the fall.

Chances are your local nursery sells trees

with an intact soil ball, either balled and

burlapped or container-grown plants. These trees

can be set into the ground at any time during the

growing season. In choosing your tree, check for

good overall shape, a firm and damp ball of

earth and, if the tree has leafed out, a fresh green

color.

Since trees, once established, become a permanent

part of the landscape, consider your

planting site carefully. Check soil requirements

and prefered exposure for each new tree. Dig a

hole that is wider than the soil ball, but only so

deep that the tree can rest at the same level as it

did in the nursery.

Avoid air pockets by firming the soil around

the roots. Water added to the partially filled hole also

helps to settle the soil. Finish the job by building up a

small ridge of soil to encircle the tree. Fill this "saucer"

with water several times a week until the tree's roots are

re-established and growth resumes.

Editor's note: Sources for spring-flowering trees are

listed.

COPYRIGHT 1998 KC Publishers, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning