Few plants have more impact on your landscape than trees. Here are a few highlights of spring flowering trees that will grow in your Willamette Valley landscape.
Large Trees
Magnolia ‘Yellow Bird‘ – 40 ft Tall x 30 ft Wide
This hybrid variety was selected for its eye-catching and fragrant pale yellow mid-spring flowers; it is an excellent specimen tree for the large home landscape. In fall, showy pink fruit pods develop and leaves turn coppery-bronze. Canopy is low, and grows at a medium rate. Tolerates full sun to part shade locations, and appreciates evenly moist well-draining, acidic soil.
Robinia ‘Purple Robe Locust‘ – 40 ft Tall x 30 ft Wide
Highly fragrant and very attractive chains of deep pink flowers bloom in late spring. Performs well in poor soils, fast growing, salt tolerant, and adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions. Take into consideration the tendency to sucker, but overall an ideal choice for xeriscaping or moisture-conserving landscapes.
Prunus ‘Shirofugen Flowering Cherry‘ – 35 ft Tall x 30 ft. Wide
In early spring this Japanese flowering cherry favorite is covered in dazzling double light pink flowers that emerge before leaves. A low canopy tree with a medium growth rate. Grows best in full sun, and average to evenly moist soil conditions.
Prunus ‘Kwanzan Flowering Cherry‘ – 30 ft Tall x Wide
The most popular of the Japanese cherries, this outstanding selection is covered in fragrant and showy double pink flowers in early spring. Grows best in full sun, and average to evenly moist soil conditions.
Medium Trees
Styrax ‘Japanese Snowbell‘ – 25 ft Tall x 30 ft Wide
From mid- to late spring be delighted with the most delicate white bell-shaped flowers which hang loosely from the horizontally spreading branches. Flowers are great sources of nectar for hummingbirds and pollinators. The relatively fine texture of the leaves sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage. Canopy is low, and grows at a medium rate. Grows well in full sun to part shade, in evenly moist and well-drained, acidic soils.
Magnolia ‘Judy Zuk‘ – 25 ft Tall x 8 ft Wide
Covered in stunning fragrant yellow cup-shaped flowers with plum purple eyes emerge in early spring before the leaves. This upright columnar magnolia is an excellent accent in the landscape. Canopy is low, and grows at a medium rate. Grows well in full sun to part shade, requiring evenly moist well-drained, acidic soil.
Prunus x ‘Akebono Flowering Cherry‘ – 25 ft Tall x Wide
This Japanese flowering cherry is smothered in clusters of showy light pink flowers in early spring. Canopy is low, and grows at a medium rate. Grows best in full sun, and average to evenly moist soil conditions. Read Andrea Shonnard’s Akebono flowering cherry tree story, and get inspired on making your own tradition!
Dogwood Trees – Cornus florida & Cornus kousa
Here’s the scoop on these two commonly offered varieties of dogwood trees: Cornus florida thrives in the PNW and is the native species to the U.S., while Cornus kousa is native to Asia. Cornus kousa features slightly smaller leaves than the florida, and blossoms appear a little later in spring and are slightly smaller than the florida varieties. Cornus kousa dogwood has gained popularity because of its resistance to dogwood anthracnose.
Both dogwood tree species appreciate evenly moist, acidic soils, but not wet conditions, nor being allowed to dry out. All grow well in full sun to part shade. Here are the varieties we commonly carry and enjoy growing in our Corvallis area:
- ‘Rubra‘ x florida – 30 ft Tall x 35 ft Wide; Lovely clusters of pink flowers with pink bracts bloom in spring.
- ‘Cherokee Brave‘ x florida – 30 ft Tall x 35 ft Wide; Rich crimson red flowers with white centers are on show in mid-spring and make this variety highly desirable.
- ‘Stellar Pink‘ x florida – 25 ft Tall x Wide; Featuring stunning clusters of shell pink flowers with pink bracts in late spring.
- ‘Venus‘ x kousa – 20 ft Tall x Wide; Enjoy huge white flowers with white bracts in late spring.
- ‘Radiant Rose‘ x kousa – 20 ft Tall x 20 ft Wide; Large bright pink flowers open in late spring into early summer.
- ‘Heart Throb‘ x kousa– 20 ft Tall x Wide; Rich pink flower bracts that last 1-2 months, much longer than other varieties. Mid- to late spring bloom.
- ‘Satomi‘ x kousa – 25 ft Tall x Wide; Large, showy deep pink flowers and bracts in late spring.
Prunus ‘Krauter Vesuvius Flowering Plum‘ – 20 ft Tall x 12 Wide
Fragrant pink flowers bloom in abundance in early spring before leaves emerge. Grows at a medium rate. Grows best in full sun in average to evenly moist soil, and is not particular to soil type or pH.
Pyrus ‘Jack Ornamental Pear‘ – 20 ft Tall x Wide
Clusters of white flowers emerge in mid-spring. This dwarf ornamental pear offers excellent red-purple fall color as well. A good choice for planting under power lines, and grows at a fast rate. Grows best in full sun, and in average to moist soil conditions.
Magnolia ‘Butterflies‘ – 20 ft Tall x 18 ft Wide
An exquisitely beautiful magnolia whose flowers are among the truest yellow of all hybrids offers an early spring bloom. This specimen grows to be a small tree or large shrub with a neatly pyramidal form, making it suitable for planting under power lines. Grows well in full sun to part shade in evenly moist well-drained, acidic soils.
Small Trees
Magnolias
There is a beautiful variety of magnolias, but these two varieties offer long-lasting spring blooms, and are well suited for smaller landscapes. Grow these trees in full sun to part shade, and evenly moist well-drained, acidic soils for best performance:
- ‘Jane‘ – 15 ft Tall x 10 ft Wide; Stunning fragrant burgundy cup-shaped flowers with white reverse emerge before leaves. Flowers tend to open later and avoid frost damage.
- ‘Genie‘ – 13 ft Tall x 6 ft Wide; A compact choice with a long spring to summer bloom of sweetly scented maroon-purple flowers with magenta-rose tips.
Styrax ‘Marley’s Pink‘ – 8 ft Tall x 4 ft Wide
Got a small garden, but would love a little tree? Here it is. This dainty small tree features lovely pink bell-shaped flowers hanging from gracefully weeping branches from mid- to late spring, and is very attractive. You can even grow this in a large container! Grows well in full sun to part shade, and evenly moist well-drained, acidic soils.
Shop Our Trees Online
You can browse our live inventory of trees online, and even place an order for store pick-up or local delivery! See what we have in stock now, or give us a call at 541-929-3524 to ask about availability.