There is something so beautiful and lovely about a flowering tree present in our yards. These trees add another layer of visual interest beyond the standard traditional flowering plant. They are taller, bringing the eye up. They are larger, bringing more beauty and dramatic visual impact. But flowering trees are a much larger investment than smaller flowering plants, so you want to pick trees you know will successfully grow in your yard.
What Flowering Trees Grow Well In Western Washington?
Yoshino Cherry
This cherry tree has the classic pink cherry blossoms that everyone loves so much. If you have lived in Western Washington for a significant amount of time, you have probably heard about the popular blooming of the Yoshino Cherry trees in the quad at the University of Washington. When the trees are in bloom, it is a stunning sight to behold.
The flowers come in white and pink hues but only bloom for 2 to 3 weeks. The tree does produce flowers and then provides cherry fruit, but these cherries are not the tasty ones we find in the produce section of the grocery store. It is a beautiful tree when it flowers, and when it is not flowering, the interesting twists of the branches provide visual interest throughout the year.
Kousa Dogwood
Kousa Dogwood trees produce gorgeous, large white/cream/green-yellow four-petal flowers. The tree blooms in the late spring, usually in May and June in Western Washington. The bloom is visually stunning with the bright flowers contrasting against the background of dark green leaves. It is a shorter tree providing a new layer of visual interest in a yard. The blooms are not messy like a cherry tree falling to the ground in droves.
This variety of dogwood tree is more resilient than others, but it can be susceptible to a disease known as dogwood anthracnose. With the right care and treatment, trees survive well. The tree has some drought resistance and likes a sunny spot or a partially shady spot.
Magnolia Tree
Magnolia trees have amazingly gorgeous flowers. The best magnolia tree for western Washington landscapes is the Yulan Magnolia. This tree provides flowers in a different season, providing some interest at a different time. Flowers are present from winter to early spring. Not only does it bring flowers when other things don’t, but it also provides a pleasant lemony smell.
A good thing to know about this tree is that it likes a lot of water. It also loves to be in a spot with full sunlight. The tree is tall, so make sure to plant it where it has room to stretch vertically.
Dove Tree
The Dove Tree is another tree that will bloom at a different time during the year, providing visual interest to the landscape when most people don’t expect to see flowers. This tree blooms later in the year, giving a touch of warmer months feelings later in the year. The blooms start green and turn white.
De Groot Littleleaf Linden
This tree has a long name and one that may remind you of one of the most beloved characters in the Guardians of the Galaxy movie series. This tree is beautiful yet subtle at the same time. It blooms later in the season, in late June to July, and it is great for attracting honeybees. We could always use some more support for those great, hard-working honeybees, can’t we?. This tree remains more compact in size than other flowering trees, so it is a good spot filler in a landscape. It is also great for shade with its dense, tight branch shape. The tree grows between 35 and 40 feet tall with a canopy stretching around 20 feet. It likes very wet soil and about four hours of direct sunlight per day. It is a great tree to keep in your landscape to retain blooms deep into the warmer weather season.
How do you choose the perfect flowering tree for your western Washington yard?
If you want to bring flowering trees into your western Washington landscape, the best way to ensure that they thrive and continue to do so for a long time is to work with an expert landscape designer. A landscape designer will be able to assess the unique attributes of your property and discover what trees would work with the conditions of your yard.
They will also be able to determine the amount of space you have available for where you hope to plant an ornamental flowering tree. They will be able to help you find a variety of flowering trees that will work in the exact space and will thrive with the conditions in that space you were hoping to put a gorgeous new tree.
If you want to take your yard from great to amazing, contact the landscape designers at First Fruits Landscaping. Let’s get started turning your yard into a work of art that not only looks great but also functions well for your lifestyle. We provide landscaping services in Snohomish County and King County.