Flowering trees put on quite a show

Spring is always a favorite season for gardeners. Flowering bulbs, winter annuals and early spring perennials all make their mark — but the most resplendent are flowering trees.

No other plants transform so quickly and with as much show as flowering trees. And their heavenly fragrance wafting on the breeze is exhilarating.

When it comes to planting trees, I always urge gardeners to put the right plant in the right place — and flowering trees are no exception. Just because they have flowers does not mean you can ignore everything else about the tree.

Size and shape, pest problems, tree strength, cleanliness and many other criteria are important when selecting the trees. If you can get everything else you want and flowers, too, why not indulge yourself?

Flowering stone fruits include cherries, plums, nectarines, peaches, apricots and almonds. Colors on these trees range from purest white to deep magenta and all colors in between. While the fruiting forms of these trees have an appeal to those who want the fruit, many want only the color and not the offspring.

Flowering cherries come in dozens of varieties. Look first for the desired form. Cherries, for example, range in shape from narrow to spreading to weeping. Some cultivars are large, while others are smaller. Plant them in appropriate areas because they make excellent specimen trees if properly cared for. Flowers come in single or double and are white, pink or magenta.

For those who live in the higher valley locations, consider chokecherries like "Schubert" or "Canada Red." Both are hardy and feature red to purplish foliage in summer.

After the extensive snow breakage this past winter, you might want to reconsider flowering plums, which are sometimes overused in landscapes. They have thick, upright growth with narrow branch angles that break down easily with snow or heavy winds. Some cultivars are not reliably hardy.

Flowering pears are among my favorites. Their springtime clusters of white flowers and their dark, glossy green leaves make them a landscape treasure. In many cases, the best color comes in the fall, when the leaves range from yellow to orange to red.

The "Bradford" is no longer recommended because it is so susceptible to storm breakage. Better varieties include "Aristocrat," "Autumn Blaze," "Chanticleer," "Redspire" and "Trinity." They are usually winter hardy and resistant to fire blight. The fruit is small and round and causes no problems.