I’m looking to plant a medium sized tree in my front yard… preferably one that isn’t too expensive. I’d like to plant one that has flowers on it… but nothing too small (as it would look weird with the big trees surrounding it) and nothing too big (because it’s being planted in front of our house and I don’t want it to cover up the view of our house from the road.)
thanks so much!
I live in northern Indiana.
If you live in zone 5 or south, (low temps not below say..-10 or -15):
Canadian Redbud (cercis canadensis): beautiful rose colored buds to deep pink blooms, (May),then heart shaped leaves. Dark wood. Usually reaches around 20′.
Flowering Dogwood (cornus florida): beautiful bracts in creamy white or pink,("bloom" is April/May) lots of horizontal branching with an open form and height of around 25 – 30′. This can be artfully pruned.
Korean Dogwood (cornus kousa), similar to the above but somewhat more exaggerated horizontal branching and slightly different bloom time (May/June), blooms are off-white.
Apple (malus domestica) classic and pretty in a sunny location with good drainage. Crab apple trees are nice and some have fragrance. Dwarf/semi dwarf trees can be 6-8′, and classic crabapples are usually around 20′ high.
Fringe Tree (chionathus) 12-20′ high. Blooms white "fringe" in May/June, nice fragrance, and leaves turn golden in fall. This is pretty and different. But it doesn’t always bloom right away unless you get one that is already 3 year old nursery stock or better. For best look a single trunk is nicest. It is hardy to zone 4.
Star Magnolia (magnolia stellata) 15-20′ high, blooms May/June, fragrant and double. Hardy to zone 4, but sometimes blooms are nipped by frost.
Oriental Cherry (prunus sp) Kwanzan nice tree with a pretty color, 20′ high, but somewhat short-lived. The life span is usually 20 years or so.
June Berry (amelanchier laevis or a. arborea) pretty native tree with white blooms early April/Mid April. This is really an all-season beauty with nice fall color. 15-20′ high.
Stewartia (pseudodcamellia) This is a beauty and blooms later, in July usually. It reaches 20-near 30′. Pretty bark that is reddish and nice glossy foliage. The fall color of the tree is pretty red-orange or sometimes a bit maroon.
Those would be my top choices for zone 5 on south. Without knowing your geographic location, its hard to choose. But, look those up online, usually by the latin name.
Have a good time. Thanks for planting a tree! Its nice for all of us!
Sometimes Home Depot or even, dread, WM have these trees. But check to be sure that they are not stressed out, (yellowed leaves, suckers at base, root-bound-in-pot, insects). The chain stores usually are short on help needed to properly care for trees and shrubs.
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