Summer Flowering Trees
A great way to add color to your landscape is with summer-flowering trees. There are many species of trees that provide summer color in the landscape and some, such as the Crape Myrtle, have much longer bloom periods than their spring competitiors.
Trees that bloom in the heat of Summer are typically very hardy and easy to grow. Some, such as the Chaste Tree (Vitex) stay quite small making them perfect selections for smaller, more confined landcapes while others, such as the 'D.D.Blanchard' Southern Magnolia, mature into enormous specimens that are great for providing a backgorund or screen.
A Few Popular Summer Flowering Trees
- Crape Myrtles - Most people who are the least bit familiar with landscape plants will recognize and accurately identify a crape myrtle tree. That's because they are so attractive and so very widely used in residential, urban and rural landscapes. Very few trees compare with the flower color and longevity of bloom period, and all at a time of year when it's blazing hot. But the blooms aren't all. Many crape myrtle develop a colorful shedding bark as they mature and some put on quite a fall foliage color show...read more about Crape Myrtles
- The Southern Magnolia Hybrids - There are at least l00 species, from East Asia to the Americas, which share the genus name of Magnolia, but the one most familiar to most of us, and the ones which are truly an emblem of the South, are Magnolia grandiflora (Southern Magnolia).
Southern magnolias are evergreen trees native to stream and river beds in the South, which means they are easy to grow in southern landscapes. The cup-shaped white or cream colored blooms can reach fourteen inches across on the lergest growing varieties and much smaller on the dwarf hybrids. Fragrance of the southern magnolia is legendary, and has been described as being as strong as that of jasmine, but even more delightful.
As suburban yards and landscapes become smaller, larger sizes of magnolias become difficult to fit into the available space. Smaller cultivars can be popular substitutes. 'Little Gem' is a particularly good choice for a smaller garden space. In 15 years it may reach 15 to 20' in height, and has the added bonus of flowering at a much younger age. The underside of the leaves of 'Little Gem' are covered with a soft, furry orange-brown growth of hairs called indumentum. Growth is narrow and upright making it a good selection for espalier (to grow flat against a wall) or to frame in the corners of a home or building. 'D. D. Blanchard' is a large growing variety that may reach 50' or more in height with a 20'+ spread, making it a good selection for an evergreen background, screen or buffer.
The Southern Magnolias will perform best in loose, acid soils and prefer full sun, but will tolerate some shade. When situated in partial shade there will be fewer blooms.
Below is a listing of trees that produce flowers in the Summer. Click on any thumbnail image or link to see detailed description, usage tips and instructions for care.
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