This month you should consider some beautiful spring blooming trees as a focal piece for the yard. There are quite a few to choose from, and are all a wonderful way to welcome spring into your yard!

Japanese Magnolia (Tulip or Saucer Magnolia)

A romantic looking tree, with large tulip shaped flowers at the end of branches. They come in colors of burgundy (Black Tulip), yellow (Butterflies), and mauve (Randy). It has a long, soft green leaf that drops in late fall. These trees are sensitive to late afternoon sun and can get temporary leaf burn. A great looking center piece for the yard, they grow anywhere from 10 feet to 20 feet tall.

Redbuds (Do not like to be transplanted once put in the ground!)

Eastern Redbud
Also known as the "Forest Pansy". Grows 20 to 30 feet tall, with green heart shaped leaves. Blooms from March to May, from a pale pink to a deep magenta along the branches of the tree. Leaves turn red in the fall, this particular redbud needs to be protected from the hot afternoon sun.

Avondale Redbud
This tree grows 20 feet tall, green heart shaped leaves, pink to purple flowers along branches. Will tolerate afternoon sun in the summer.

Flowering Pears

Kawakami (known as the Evergreen Pear)
A non-fruiting upright tree that has large clusters of white flowers, a real eye catcher! Can be espaliered on a brick wall for a unique display. Grows 15 to 30 feet tall. Briefly deciduous in coldest winters. We sold out of these last year! A really beautiful tree!

Bradford
A non-fruiting upright vigorous grower. White clusters of blooms, comparable to the Evergreen. Maturing at 40 to 50 feet tall, makes for a great shade tree in the summer!

Cleveland
A non-fruiting, upright conical shape, 20 to 30 foot tall. Red foliage in fall, withstands ice and wind better than the Bradford. Clusters of white blooms in spring.

Peaches: These trees all have "low chill hours." This is required so that certain fruit trees thrive in our short winters and are still able to produce fruit. If you are wanting to get good fruit production, it is recommended to plant 2 trees. The spring blooms from these trees are worth planting just one tree. The fragrance is very uplifting after a chilly winter!

Babcock
Grows 15 to 20 feet in height, fragrant blooms in white and pink.

Sam Houston
Grows 15 to 20 feet in height, fragrant blooms in white and pink.

Tropic Snow
Grows 15 to 20 feet in height, fragrant blooms in white and pink.

Apples: Being that we do not get long winters (longer chill hours are required for growing red apples) we are limited to growing green apples on the Gulf Coast. They still produce beautiful blooms that attract beneficial insects. These can also bloom mid-winter here! The blooms on apples are like little dogwood blooms, white and pink. They are very pretty, and they have a wonderful fragrance!

Golden Dorset
Grows 10 to 20 feet in height, fragrant white and pink blooms.

Anna
Grows 10 to 20 feet in height, fragrant white and pink blooms.

Ein Shimer
Grows 10 to 30 feet in height, fragrant white and pink blooms.

Texas Mountain Laurel

Texas Mountain Laurel, Sophora secundiflora, is a wonderful shrub that can be trained as a tree. Texas Mountain Laurel is a very slow grower but worth the wait. Grows to 25' in height with a spread of 15' - 20'. Texas Mountain Laurel is evergreen, can take full sun to partial shade. This shrub has small shiny dark green leaves. Then in mid-winter to early spring it blooms. These luscious purple blooms remind me of a bunch of grapes the way they hang down. Then to top it off they have a lovely scent. Just beautiful. This is a great time to plant.

Height: up to 25'
Light requirement: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Type: Evergreen
Blooms: mid-winter to early spring

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