SP513 Small Flowering Trees for Tennessee Landscapes

Small flowering trees are second only to shade trees for importance in the landscape. Flowering trees are valuable plants with colorful, showy blossoms and other unusual features that give interest and variety in the landscape. All trees flower, but large trees are valued for providing shade, even though flowers may be noticeable. Large trees establish the basic framework of the landscape and should be planted in key locations for optimal shading. Most properties need both small and large trees, which creates a more desirable landscape.

Carefully select your small flowering trees to ensure they fit into the landscape. In addition to their blooms, they can screen objectionable views, provide more privacy by adding height to a fence or give interest as specimen plants. Most small residential landscapes need only a few flowering trees. They should not be scattered indiscriminately over an area, but grouped according to height and canopy forms. Avoid combining trees with extremes in canopy forms and texture. Trees are more distinctive when there is a thread of continuity between them.