Trees with white flowers have a way of lifting and lightening a garden’s mood—as well as soothing the mood of the gardener. In the evenings, their glimmering nocturnal presence is a comfort, and by day their pale petals, augmented by bare branches or the textural contrast of foliage, are an elegantly calming balm. For the final chapter of our series, here are some of our favorite trees with white flowers for you to consider as sentinels among your perennials and shrubs. They range from small to statuesque, and can offer blossoms from very early spring through the first frost.
Photography by Marie Viljoen.
1. Star Magnolia
Bursting from their velvet bud capsules, star magnolias (Magnolia stellata) are small to medium-sized trees and one of the earliest to bloom in spring. The flowers appear against a fretwork of bare branches and are gently scented (as well as edible in a gingery way). Star magnolias are hardy from USA growing zones 4 to 8.
2. Serviceberry
Native Amelanchier species range from shrubs to medium trees and are known variously as serviceberry, shadbush, shadblow, saskatoon and juneberry. Amelanchier canadensis, A. arborea and A. x grandiflora are tree-forms of the genus, and their white flowers are one of the earliest of the year. (In areas where shad run—or ran—up-stream to spawn in spring, the flowers coincide with their journey.) The delicate blossoms are followed by sweet, edible fruit in early summer. Amelanchier species are hardy from USDA zones 4 to 9.
3. Crabapple
White forms of crabapple (whose apple blossoms also range from the palest of pinks to deep burgundy) are plush with scented flowers in mid-spring, their ruffled blossoms offset against fresh new foliage. Crabapples are hardy from zones 4 to 8.
4. Hawthorn
Hawthorns are species of Crataegus and flower in late spring. The trees bear scarlet and orange fruit well into late autumn. Crataegus viridis is a North American native species and one of the most widely used in gardens. Hawthorns are hardy from USDA zones 4 to 7.
5. Native Cherries
The white flowers of native American cherries like statuesque Prunus serotina (black cherry) and slightly less imposing P. padus (bird cherry) flower a month or more after the famous cherry blossom displays of Asian species. These trees are very valuable food sources for pollinators and wildlife, and the ripe fruit is useful for humans, too. Very cold-tolerant native cherries are hardy from USDA zones 3 to 9.
6. Native Dogwoods
Native dogwoods like Cornus sericea and C. racemosa bloom in early summer and both small trees (or large shrubs) are adaptable to semi-shade. They are hardy from USDA zones 3 to 7, and 4 to 8, respectively.
7. Blackhaw
Like serviceberry, blackhaw (Viburnum prunifolium) is another of the small native trees with white flowers that is deeply appealing to birds, other wildlife, and also to humans. This viburnum’s large clusters of tiny flowers give way to sweet, purple-black fruit in late summer and fall. Blackhaw is hardy from zones 3 to 9.
8. Black Locust (or Acacia)
North America’s black locust tree (Robinia pseudoacacia) is known as acacia in Europe, where the trees have naturalized and become invasive. Their perfumed (and deliciously edible) white flowers appear in late spring and are the source of acacia honey (the name is acacia is very confusing since it bears no relation to the genus Acacia). Black locust are large trees, although they can be pruned while young to maintain a more moderate size. They are hardy from zones 3 to 8.
9. Fragrant Snowbell
Among these trees with white flowers, the long, bell-strewn racemes of richly-scented fragrant snowbell stand out as they buzz with bees. Styrax obassia is a small tree with large velvety leaves, and is hardy from USDA zones 5 to 8. It flowers best in full sun.
10. Fringe Trees
The airy white flowers of medium-sized fringe trees bloom in early summer and are followed by blue fruit in fall. There are dozens of species of fringe tree, and native Chionanthus virginicus is well known in the nursery trade; it is hardy from zones 3 to 9, while Asian species grow well in zones 5 to 9.
11. Magnolia sieboldii
The striking, peony-like flowers of M. sieboldii appear in early summer and then intermittently through fall. The small tree grows well in partial shade and is hardy from USDA zones 6 to 8.
12. Stewartia
Stewartia trees’ white flowers appear in midsummer. The Asian species S. pseudocamellia is hardy from zones 5 to 8 while the US native S. ovata grows happily in zones 5 to 9. Both small-to-medium-sized trees bloom reliably in half a day of sun.
13. Southern Magnolia
The dramatic blooms of evergreen native Magnolia grandiflora flower through summer. The waxy, dinner-plate sized blooms are perfumed and very attractive to native bumblebees. The seed capsules that follow flowering are an added ornamental feature. Southern magnolia can be grown in USDA zones 7 to 9 (and possibly 6, with protection) and will become imposing in the warmer regions of its range.
Read more: Magnolia grandiflora – Ancient Flower, Fresh Flavor.
14. Franklinia
Famously, Franklinia alatamaha, no longer exists in wild populations. Sometimes mistaken for Stewartia, Franklinia differs in that it blooms from late summer into fall, when its foliage turns scarlet. Franklinia can be grown in USDA zones 5 to 8.
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