FLOWERING TREES

Today I thought I would do a quick rundown of the flowering trees that we have in our yard. Just a reminder that I am located in Salt Lake City, UT which is planting zone 5. I'm pretty sure that most of these trees will work in most climates, but just check with your local nursery. 

First up is my very favorite tree the Lancelot Crabapple. This is more of a compact upright tree with tight clusters of little pink buds that burst into while flowers. I always say this, but if I could only plant one tree this would be it. Its fruitless so you won't have a mess in your yard. It has snowy white blooms in spring then glossy green leaves for fall. It's great for small tight spaces since it doesn't get too wide. I love that it has a more geometric/sculptural feel compared to traditional flowering trees.

Below is a close up of my Lancelot tree at its peak. Be warned, I don't know why, but there are some years that it doesn't blossom. I haven't quite figured out what the reason is. Last year it didn't bloom at all ( I checked with friends who have the same tree and theirs didn't bloom either) but then this year they went wild.

We have one large Prairie Rose Fruitless Crabapple Tree in our backyard. It has gotten enormous and we've had to trim it back every year. The bonus is you'll have beautiful cut branches for your home. Even though it is classified as "fruitless," this tree still drops the occasional fruit. It doesn't bother me though, it's not too messy and I just pick them up when they fall. I figure it's a small price to pay for such a beautiful tree. If you are planting this one, be sure to give it enough room to spread out. We've now shaped ours into a canopy over our seating area and it provides lovely shade all summer. 

On the perimeter of our house we also have Brandywine Crabapple Trees. This is a good in between size. These also have small rosette clusters in spring.

 Scattered in along our garden beds I've planted Limelight Hydrangea Trees. These are a bit more temperamental, especially the first year you plant them. Morning sun is best, but they'll still do ok in full sun so long as you keep up with watering on really hot days. I like different layers of height in my garden so these are great to add visual interest. 

I have most of our trees on a drip line. Again, if you don't have a drip line a tree gator is great option and you can move it from tree to tree. I can't stress this enough but a regular sprinkler isn't going to cut it if you want large healthy trees. Being in Utah there are days when we reach triple digits so I try to hand water again on those days.

I hope this helps,  if you have any question leave a comment and I'll try to answer as best I can. Thanks for reading.