Ornamental trees are cherished for their aesthetic qualities, enhancing landscapes with stunning visual elements. Chosen for beauty rather than utility, they bring vibrant colors, unique shapes, and textures to gardens, parks, and urban spaces. Their diverse sizes and forms suit various settings, from small patios to expansive estates.
These trees captivate with seasonal displays, offering bursts of colorful blooms in spring or summer. Their flowers, ranging in hues, often add fragrance, creating sensory delight. Some varieties also feature striking fruit or seed pods, adding further visual intrigue.
Foliage plays a key role, with leaves in varied shapes and textures. In autumn, many transform into brilliant shades, providing a fiery spectacle. Even in winter, their bare branches or unique bark patterns maintain structural elegance.
Ornamental trees often have distinctive bark, peeling or mottled, that adds year-round appeal. Their branching patterns, whether weeping or upright, contribute to architectural beauty, making them focal points in any landscape design.
Adaptable to diverse climates, these trees thrive in specific conditions, requiring careful selection based on local environment. Proper care ensures their longevity, offering enduring beauty and charm to any outdoor space.
Ornamental Trees
- Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) – Striking red or purple foliage, delicate leaves, ideal for small gardens.
- Flowering Crabapple (Malus spp.) – Colorful spring blossoms, small apples, various sizes.
- Dogwood (Cornus florida) – Showy spring flowers, red fall foliage, compact size.
- Redbud (Cercis canadensis) – Vibrant pink-purple spring blooms, heart-shaped leaves.
- Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) – Large, fragrant white flowers, glossy evergreen leaves.
- Cherry Blossom (Prunus serrulata) – Iconic pink spring blossoms, short bloom season.
- Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) – Vivid summer flowers, peeling bark, drought-tolerant.
- Flowering Plum (Prunus cerasifera) – Purple foliage, pink spring flowers, small stature.
- Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana) – Large pink-purple blooms, early spring display.
- Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa) – White star-shaped flowers, red fall fruit, disease-resistant.
- Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica) – Graceful drooping branches, fast-growing, prefers wet soil.
- Golden Chain Tree (Laburnum x watereri) – Cascading yellow flower chains, small and elegant.
- Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) – White or pink spring flowers, red berries, thorny branches.
- Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum) – Peeling cinnamon-colored bark, vivid fall color.
- Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata) – White star-shaped flowers, compact for small spaces.
- Ornamental Pear (Pyrus calleryana) – White spring blooms, glossy leaves, urban-tolerant.
- Japanese Snowbell (Styrax japonicus) – Bell-shaped white flowers, graceful branching.
- Flowering Almond (Prunus glandulosa) – Pink or white double blooms, dwarf size.
- Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) – White spring flowers, edible berries, fall color.
- Smoke Tree (Cotinus coggygria) – Fluffy pink-purple flower plumes, colorful foliage.
- Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) – Pink feathery flowers, fern-like leaves, fast-growing.
- Stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia) – White camellia-like flowers, exfoliating bark.
- Franklin Tree (Franklinia alatamaha) – Fragrant white flowers, red fall foliage, rare.
- Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata) – Yellow flower clusters, papery seed pods.
- Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) – White bell-shaped flowers, brilliant red fall leaves.
- Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus) – Lavender flower spikes, aromatic leaves, shrub-like.
- Weeping Cherry (Prunus pendula) – Drooping branches, pink spring blossoms.
- Linden (Tilia cordata) – Fragrant yellow flowers, heart-shaped leaves, stately form.
- Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) – Attractive green foliage, smooth gray bark, hedge potential.
- Snow Fountain Cherry (Prunus ‘Snow Fountain’) – Weeping form, white spring flowers.
- Flowering Peach (Prunus persica) – Pink or red blooms, ornamental fruitless varieties.
- Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus) – Fragrant white fringe-like flowers, airy look.
- Mountain Ash (Sorbus aucuparia) – White flowers, red-orange berries, fall color.
- Japanese Tree Lilac (Syringa reticulata) – Creamy white flower clusters, small tree.
- Desert Willow (Chilopsis linearis) – Trumpet-shaped pink flowers, drought-tolerant.
- Silverbell (Halesia carolina) – White bell-shaped flowers, delicate branching.
- Katsura Tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) – Heart-shaped leaves, caramel-scented fall foliage.
- Red Horsechestnut (Aesculus x carnea) – Red flower spikes, bold foliage, shade-tolerant.
- Persian Ironwood (Parrotia persica) – Brilliant fall colors, exfoliating bark.
- Seven-Son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides) – White flower clusters, peeling bark.
- Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) – Silvery foliage, small fragrant flowers.
- Yellowwood (Cladrastis kentukea) – White flower chains, smooth bark, rare.
- European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) – Purple or green foliage, stately form, slow-growing.
- Carolina Silverbell (Halesia tetraptera) – White bell-shaped flowers, yellow fall color.
- Flowering Apricot (Prunus mume) – Pink or white early spring blooms, fragrant.
- Amelanchier x grandiflora – White spring flowers, edible berries, compact size.
- Silk Floss Tree (Ceiba speciosa) – Pink flowers, spiny trunk, tropical appearance.
- Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox) – Fragrant yellow winter flowers, shrub-like.
- Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas) – Yellow early spring flowers, red fruit, small tree.
- Dove Tree (Davidia involucrata) – White bracts resembling doves, unique and rare.