5 of the Best Blossoming Trees

We recently explored the subject of how to choose the best trees to meet certain needs. Trees to absorb carbon. Trees to reduce pollution. Trees to combat road noise, and trees to attract wildlife. But what about if you are looking to create a pretty feature in your garden, and you want trees that produce beautiful blossom? Read on to discover five of the best blossoming trees for your garden.

Rowan tree

The rowan tree, a UK native species, is quite similar to the ash tree in terms of its leaves. However, when it comes to blossom, its stunning white flowers really do distinguish it.

Rowan trees blossom in late spring from about April to May, producing densely clustered creamy white flowers. Each flower is made up of five petals arranged in flat clusters of about 10cm in width. The scent of rowan blossom is very distinctive and most appealing to pollinators such as bees.

The wonderful thing about the rowan tree is that its blossoming period precedes a crop of absolutely spectacular scarlet red berries in the later summer months. So if you’re looking for colour from spring through summer, rowan could well be the tree for you. Rowan trees don’t tend to grow as tall as certain other species, usually to around 15 metres in height, so if you have a fairly confined space it should make a good choice.

Horse chestnut tree

The flowers of the horse chestnut tree appear in May. Known as ‘candles’ due to their dome-like appearance, this is a very pretty blossom that’s mostly white but with a distinctive flush of bright pink running through it.

Of course the horse chestnut tree is best known for its seeds, commonly known as ‘conkers’. These have so many uses aside from the obvious, including a spider deterrent and a good luck charm. Here are ten interesting uses for the horse chestnut!

Do bear in mind that the horse chestnut tree is one of the larger species of trees, capable of growing to heights of around 40 metres, so perhaps not such a good choice for the smaller garden.

Hawthorn tree

The hawthorn tree, also known as the May tree, is a bushy specimen and a species that’s native to the UK. Its sweet-scented white or sometimes pink clustered flowers appear in May once its leaves have emerged, hence the name, May tree.

The age-old saying, ‘Never cast the clout until May’s out’ is actually associated with the hawthorn tree, rather than the month of May. It basically means, don’t pack away your warm clothes until the Mayflower has bloomed and faded, rather than until the month of May is over. And what good advice!

Hawthorn is a thorny tree which generally stays fairly compact, providing it is properly pruned. Usually it will only reach heights of up to eight metres.

Once the flowers have been pollinated, later in the summer the red hawberries appear, attracting all sorts of birds into the garden. Hawberries can also be used to make jellies, ketchups and wines.

Wild cherry tree

If you can accommodate a tree that can potentially grow up to 30 metres in height, then the wild cherry tree makes a superb choice, especially if you find a glorious display of lovely white spring blossom appealing.

The wild cherry tree tends to bloom in April, with the blossom closely followed, once pollinated, by the emergence of the fruits. The cherries grow fairly slowly over the spring and summer, transitioning through yellow-red to dark red-purple and are usually ripe for picking around July.

Do be warned that wild cherries are a magnet for birds, so you may wish to take steps to protect them in some way should you have your heart set on enjoying them yourself.

Crab apple tree

Crab apple trees remain fairly compact in size and tend to grow only to around 10 metres in height, so they make the perfect adornment for the smaller garden.

The pinky-white blossom of the crab apple tree is very sweetly-scented and much loved by bees and other pollinators. Appearing spring from around April to May, apple blossom develops into small, yellow-green fruits resembling mini apples, measuring just 2-3cm.

If you can get to the fruits before the birds and other wildlife, they make a delicious jelly, perfect for serving alongside meat. Toffee crab apples and a crab apple liqueur are also yummy options for this fruit.

Keeping your trees in tip top condition for the best possible blossoming beauty

So there you have our top five beautifully blossoming trees. If you decide to plant a blossoming tree in your garden, do remember the importance of regular pruning, especially important in the early years of the tree’s life and more so for blossoming, fruit-producing trees that rely on a strong branch structure to support their crops.

If you could use some help in caring for any tree on your land, blossoming or not, we’re here with all the expertise and guidance you need. Please feel free to get in touch and let us know how we can assist you.

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