Pink Flowering Trees for Spring Color

The Pink Bloom Sequence

Eastern redbud opens first, usually late March into April, with magenta-pink flowers that emerge directly from the branches and even the trunk. Pink dogwood follows within a week or two, holding broad pink bracts in flat layers that look like they are floating. Weeping cherry and Kwanzan cherry arrive next, cherry blossoms in soft to deep pink. Later, purple leaf plum carries pink flowers alongside dark foliage. Crepe myrtle picks the season back up in July and runs into September.

Choosing by Size

Most pink flowering trees stay small, which is exactly why they fit residential yards so well. Redbud and dogwood generally reach twenty to thirty feet with a broad spreading habit, good for a front yard focal point or the edge of a wooded area. Weeping cherry stays smaller with cascading branches, suited to a lawn island or near a patio where the form can be seen from all sides. Crepe myrtle ranges from under five feet to thirty, so check mature size before choosing.

Where to Plant

Give a flowering tree a spot where you will actually see it: framing a driveway, near a window, at the corner of a house, or along a walk. Most bloom heaviest in full sun, though redbud and dogwood both flower well with morning sun and afternoon shade, which is closer to how they grow naturally at the forest edge.

Plant in fall or early spring while trees are dormant. Dig a hole twice as wide as the roots, set the tree at the depth it grew in our fields, and water deeply once a week through the first growing season. See our planting instructions and browse more in flowering trees.

Pink Flowering Tree Questions

What is the earliest pink flowering tree?
Eastern redbud, which opens magenta-pink flowers directly on its branches in late March or April, before its leaves appear.

How long do pink flowering trees bloom?
Two to three weeks for spring bloomers like redbud, dogwood and cherry. Crepe myrtle flowers for roughly two months in summer.

What is the best small pink flowering tree?
Weeping cherry for its cascading form, or redbud for early color and broad spreading shape in a modest footprint.

Do pink flowering trees need full sun?
Most bloom heaviest in six or more hours. Redbud and dogwood also flower well with morning sun and afternoon shade.

When should I plant a flowering tree?
Fall or early spring while dormant. Fall gives roots a full winter to establish before the first bloom season.

TN Nursery has supplied plants to Arlington National Cemetery and the grounds of the Washington Monument. Every tree is guaranteed to arrive alive.