Small Blooming Trees for Spring
Aside from spring blooming bulbs, there are no plants better at welcoming the spring season than spring-blooming trees. Early blooming trees explode into flower as the season is turning, bringing cheerful color to the landscape. Often, homeowners don’t think to plan for late-winter and early-spring color when it comes to their trees. Many think that they have to plant fruiting trees that have to be carefully managed in order to enjoy their spring color. However, there are a number of small blooming ornamental trees that can bring their spring garden to life without bringing them extra work!
While most “ornamental” blooming trees do produce some small fruits, they are generally insignificant. These plants are grown primarily for their flowers and foliage and do not need to be pruned and managed like a producing fruit tree. Small blooming trees help create focal points in the landscape as well as anchor larger garden beds. In tight urban spaces, there may not be room for larger trees. Small ornamental blooming trees can be the perfect solution for providing some shade, color and foliage interested into a tight space.
One of our favorite small blooming trees is purple leaf plum ‘Krauter Vesuvius’. Growing to only 15- to 20-feet tall, this small tree packs a big punch with its stunning purple foliage. Purple leaf plum typically begins blooming in early- to mid-spring and the flowers are followed by deep purple foliage. The light pink fragrant flowers form in clusters along the branches of the tree and are loved by butterflies. This tree seldom fruits, but any fruits that develop are typically enjoyed by birds. While you can prune ‘Krauter Vesuvius’ to stay on the smaller side, there’s no need to prune it heavily for fruit production like you would for a fruit producing plum. It’s the perfect high-impact specimen for a smaller city yard!
