Flower Trees Native to Virginia

Virginia's diverse landscape spreads across six USDA plant hardiness zones, with winter temperatures tumbling to between -15 degrees and 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Each year, the eastern half of the state experiences between 60 and 90 days of plant-stressing summer temperatures exceeding 86 F. Yet flowering trees have adapted to conditions across Virginia. They fill the state's landscapes with bright spring blooms and brilliant autumn leaves.

White fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus), an ornamental olive tree plant, grows across Virginia. The small (15 to 30 feet high) tree has unusual spring flowers. Appearing in clusters, the fragrant blossoms have up-to-6-inch, narrow petals. Trees in full bloom appear to have a covering of white fringe. This plant is also desirable for its bunches of small, blue-violet fruit. Appearing toward the end of summer, the fruit attracts birds. Fringetree's Lance like green leaves become golden yellow in fall. Even in winter, gray bark straight the way makes this tree an attractive garden addition. It likes a partly shady location with moist, sandy soil, advises the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Despite its name, the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) belongs to the magnolia family. This stately tree, often reaching 100 feet in the wild, is common throughout Virginia. Sixty- to 90-foot trees are the norm in home landscapes. Orange-banded, yellow spring blooms resembling tulips account for the plant's name. The 2-inch flowers may remain hidden beneath the tree's foliage, notes the Missouri Botanical Garden. The four-lobed leaves provide yellow autumn color. Relatively weak wood makes tulip tree vulnerable to branch loss in high winds or ice storms. The plant performs best in a sunny spot with fertile, well-drained loam.

Landscapes across Virginia glow with the spring flowers and autumn foliage of flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) trees. These deciduous bloomers usually approach 30 feet in height and spread, according to the University of Connecticut Plant Database. Their oval, green spring and summer leaves become reddish- purple early in fall. The foliage keeps its autumn color for an extended period before dropping. Appearing in May, yellow-green petals take a back seat to the flowers' showy, 2-inch white bracts. The blooms last for as long as two weeks. They produce clusters of small, glossy red fruit that can persist on the trees into winter. Flowering dogwood likes a sunny spot with moist, organically rich acidic (pH below 7.0) soil.

Cockspur hawthorn (Crataegus crus-galli) grows sporadically throughout Virginia, with the highest populations in the state's northeastern corner. A squat, thorny tree, it usually stands from 25 to 35 feet high and wide. This rose family plant has horizontal branches with shiny, green leaves that chance to red or orange in fall. In late spring, the branches bear dense clusters of small white blooms. The flowers give way to autumn red fruit that may remain on the tree into January, notes the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Cockspur hawthorn needs a sunny to partially shady, well-drained location with acidic soil. It grows in sand, loam or clay.