Flowering Trees in April and May

There’s a select group of trees and shrubs that herald spring with a dazzling array of flowers in shades of white, pink, purple, red or yellow. Ranging from dainty and delicate to star or cup-shaped, these early arrivals lift the spirits. Amongst the earliest to blossom are Japanese apricot trees, a mass of rich pink, almond-scented flowers, soon to be joined by cherry plums which explode into a myriad of single, snowy flowers. As spring quickens, crab apples join the party, whilst hedgerows come alive with hawthorns or spiny-branched sloes, and orchards are filled with apple and pear blossom. Blossom is not exclusive to fruiting trees, though, and by late spring, Amelanchier canadensis, fragrant philadelphus and exochorda are engulfed in a white halo of flowers.

Tips for navigation