The 8 Best Flowering Trees for a Gorgeous Summer Bloom

When you think of beautiful flowering trees you probably think of trees that blossom in spring, such as dogwoods, redbuds, or cherry trees. But there are trees that put forth their blossoms in the summer. Here are eight of these beautiful bloomers:

These trees are the ones to plant if you want interest in your garden from the warm months into the fall. Read on to find out more about the available bloom colors and how to plant and grow these trees.

Crape Myrtle Is One of the Most Beloved of the Flowering Trees

One of the favorite flowering trees of the southern United States comes into its own during the hottest days of summer. Native to southeast Asia and parts of Oceania and Australia, people prize this beautiful tree for its panicles of flowers, which come in colors of pink, white, purple, and red. Depending on the species, the tree can range from one to 100 feet tall, though most grown in people’s yards and gardens grow to about 25 feet or smaller. Not only does the crape myrtle produce beautiful flowers that last all summer, but the flowers are replaced in the fall by brilliant orange foliage. Even the mottled, shedding bark is beautiful.

Crape myrtle thrives in hardiness zones 7 to 9. Plant it in soil that is moist but well-drained and enriched with organic matter. The tree also flourishes in full, hot sun.

Plant Summersweet to Attract Pollinators

Also called Clethra or sweet pepperbush, this summer flowering tree thrives in hardiness zones 3 to 9 and grows to 20 feet tall. It bears deliciously fragrant pink or white flowers that attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies. In the winter, birds eat the seeds.

Summersweet can tolerate a range of growing conditions, though it prefers moist, acidic soil. It does well in both full sun and full shade, so you can plant it where you can’t plant other shrubs and trees. Native to the eastern United States and Texas, this tough tree can even grow in the salty air along the coast.

Mountain Laurel’s Flowers Are Both Beautiful and Unusual

This small tree is related to the blueberry and is native to the eastern United States. There, it’s famously found in the Appalachian Mountains in areas called balds. These are the tops of mountains that are mainly covered with grasses. Mountain laurel can grow as high as 32 feet tall but you’ll usually find them at around 15 feet. In early summer it produces beautiful and unusual flowers in white, rose and shades of pink. These flowers contrast with the tree’s dark green leathery leaves. The flowers are unusual because their 10 anthers are tucked into little pockets in the flower’s corolla. When they’re touched they release puffs of pollen.

Mountain laurel can thrive in full sun to full shade, but it likes partial shade the best. The soil should be kept cool, but it should be full of humus, well-draining, on the acidic side, and moist. To make sure the soil stays cool, add mulch. This small tree is fantastic for a woodland garden in hardiness zones 4 to 9.

The New Zealand Tea Tree Is an Evergreen

As its name says, the New Zealand tea tree is native to New Zealand and Australia. It’s an evergreen with small, fragrant, fine-textured leaves and a dense but upright habit. A tree of tropical climes, it flourishes in hardiness zones 9 and 10. It blossoms in early summer, and the beautiful flowers can be double or single. They’re about 1/2 inch around and usually white. However, some cultivars have flowers of pink or red. The little tree itself is 6 to 10 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide.

The New Zealand tea tree prefers acidic, well-draining soil and full sun. Add mulch to retain moisture. The tea tree is drought tolerant, but you should plant it in partial shade if your area gets very hot and dry.

The Oleander Is Stunning, but Beware

Another small tree that loves hot weather, the beautiful oleander grows best in hardiness zones 8 to 10. It’s a hardy plant that can grow to around 20 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide. Its leaves, which resemble the leaves of the bamboo, are evergreen. It starts to blossom in the late spring but keeps blooming throughout the summer. It’s not cold-tolerant and will die back even in Zone 7.

The fast-growing oleander isn’t fussy about soil, though it does best in soil that’s moist, well-drained, and fertile. The flowers come in clusters at the end of the stems and are showy, with colors of white, pink or red. This tough little tree can tolerate drought, salty ocean wind, and pollution. This is why you see oleanders planted along the streets of Los Angeles.

One thing you must know about the oleander is that despite its beauty and hardiness, every part of the tree is poisonous. Even if you break one of its branches, the sap can cause dermatitis if it comes into contact with your skin.

The Sorrel Tree Is Beautiful All Year Long

Also called the sourwood, this tree is beautiful throughout the year. In the spring its leaves emerge, followed in the middle of summer by clusters of tiny, white flowers that resemble upside-down urns. The flowers are followed by fruit and scarlet leaves in the fall. The fruit, which is green at first, turns brown and hangs on the tree throughout the winter.

The sorrel tree grows between 25 and 30 feet in height and around 20 feet around. It has an attractive pyramidal habit with a round crown. This tree does best in soil that is moist, acidic, and well-drained. It also likes full sun to part shade. If you want more flowers, plant this tree in the sun. The sorrel tree grows slowly but is beautiful even when it’s young.

The Smoke Tree Is One of the More Atypical Flowering Trees

This fascinating tree gets its name because its pink, white or purplish flower stalks appear in puffs that look like smoke. It’s a low-maintenance tree that grows from 10 to 15 feet tall and isn’t particular about its soil, even if the soil is dry and rocky. It does need full sun and needs plenty of watering when it’s young. After it’s established, the smoke tree is quite drought tolerant. The leaves, which you probably won’t even notice because of the unusual blooms, are blue-green and turn blazing red, yellow or purple in the fall. This unique tree does best in hardiness zones 5 to 8.

One of the Most Beautiful Flowering Trees: Southern Magnolia

This magnificent tree, Magnolia grandiflora, is native to the southeastern United States and joins the crape myrtle as one of the region’s most popular flowering trees. Indeed, it’s Mississippi’s state tree and Louisiana’s state flower. Though it is a tree of the south, it’s grown as far north as Long Island, New York, and Vancouver, British Columbia. The tree grows best in hardiness zones 5 to 9.

The southern magnolia grows as tall as 90 feet or taller and has a conical crown. It’s an evergreen with long, leathery, oval leaves that are glossy green on top and rust-colored and downy on the underside. The huge, white flowers arrive in early summer. They have a beautiful lemony scent and can be nearly a foot across. People describe magnolia flowers as fleshy, with a waxy feel to them. They last throughout the summer and develop into pods that split open to reveal brilliantly red seeds. Wildlife such as squirrels, possums, and birds eat the seeds.

In the wild, the southern magnolia grows near swamps and other bodies of water, but it can’t tolerate flooding. It does best in soil that is moist, full of loam, and somewhat acidic but well-drained. It also needs full sun to partial shade.

Summary of the 8 Best Flowering Trees for a Gorgeous Summer Bloom