Massachusetts spring marks the beginning of new growth. Flowers blooming from the thawing ground and warmer temperatures bring everyone out of hibernation to enjoy the newly green landscape breathing new life into Needham, Concord, Danvers, Cape Cod, and other areas of the state.
Planting spring flowering trees is a great way to welcome the new season in your backyard, regardless of size. Here’s how you can get started.
What To Consider When Selecting A Flowering Tree For Your Massachusetts Landscape
There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing the best flowering trees for your landscape: the tree’s hardiness zone, the state of your soil (pH, fertility, compaction, moisture, drainage), the tree’s sun exposure needs, available space relative to the tree’s size, and the tree’s potential exposure to wind.
Avoid planting larger trees under utility lines. The limbs can grow into the lines and become safety hazards, potentially causing damage to important equipment and your landscape.
How To Care For Flowering Trees Year Round
Trees that bloom flowers in the spring need year-round care to look their best. Different species may require specific attention based on your growing zone, but each season has some general rules.
Early to mid-spring is the ideal time to fertilize your flowering trees. As the weather warms into summer, increasing watering frequency can help decrease stress in your trees – based on the amount of natural rainfall. Fall is a great time to prepare for the winter freeze by mulching, light pruning, and one last watering. In the winter, tree care is all about protection and preparation for the spring by ensuring your trees are properly mulched and watered during dry spells.
What Impacts An Early Bloom
Unseasonably warm weather and unusual precipitation patterns, and climate change can cause spring flowering trees to bloom early. While early blooms can be pleasing to the eye during a dreary winter, subsequent frosts can damage the flowers.
Following proper seasonal maintenance guidelines, covering plants during cold snaps, and ensuring they are well-mulched can help protect early blooming trees.
Best Flowering Trees To Plant In Massachusetts
For Massachusetts residents, these are some of the best flowering trees in spring based on their bloom time, growth height, and sun exposure:
- Carolina Silverbell, Halesia tetraptera (formerly H. carolina): A small deciduous tree with white, bell-shaped flowers.
- Bloom timeframe: Late April to early May
- Growth height: 30 to 40 feet
- Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade
- American Yellowwood, Cladrastis kentuckea: A small to medium-sized deciduous tree with fragrant white flowers in the spring and yellow leaves in the fall
- Bloom timeframe: Late May to early June (some trees bloom every other year)
- Growth height: 30 to 50 feet
- Sun exposure: Full sun
- Washington Hawthorn, Crataegus phaenopyrum: A small, colorful tree that begins with reddish-purple leaves in the spring and turns into dark green leaves with white flowers.
- Bloom timeframe: Early to mid-June
- Growth height: 30 to 40 feet
- Sun exposure: Full sun
Best Flowering Trees For Small Yards In Massachusetts
You don’t have to sacrifice spring beauty because your space is smaller. Figuring out what is considered a small tree can help you find the right fit for your yard. While the size is subjective, a max height of 25 feet is generally considered small. Here are some recommendations:
- Flowering dogwood, Cornus florida: A single or multi-trunked tree with a spreading canopy and long-lasting white and pink flowers.
- Bloom timeframe: Early May
- Growth height: 15 to 25 feet
- Sun exposure: Partial shade, with morning sun and mid-afternoon shade being the ideal
- Crabapple, Malus sp.: A pollinator tree with a dense, twiggy canopy and white, pink, or red flowers
- Bloom timeframe: Early May
- Growth height: 20 to 25 feet
- Sun exposure: Full sun
- Allegheny Serviceberry, Amelanchier laevis: A deciduous tree in the rose family with white spring blooms and edible purple berries
- Bloom timeframe: Mid to late April
- Growth height: 15 to 25 feet
- Sun exposure: Full sun to partial shade in the mid-afternoon
At Hartney Greymont, we have local arborists in Needham, Concord, Danvers, Cape Cod, and the surrounding areas with the expertise to help you meet your landscaping goals, from tree species selection and planting to year-round maintenance .
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