Flowering trees
Buttonbush
The button bush is a low growing bush that likes the moist soil of ditches, marshes, pond and lake sides, riverbanks and thickets. Flowers look like ping-pong sized, white satellites, and bloom from June to August. The button bush is home to some water fowl and song birds. They attract bees and butterflies as well. Leaves turn yellow in the fall. For more information see: USDA Plant Guide Buttonbush.
Fowering Dogwood
The Flowering Dogwood is a beautiful small tree with a attractive white flowers in the spring. It has red fruit which birds love, and in the fall, the leaves turn a dark red. It grows 20+’ in height, and requires partial shade. For more information see: USDA Plant Guide Dogwood.
Ogeechee tupelo
A tree that grows to 60 ft. high and known for its 1/2-3/4 in. diameter, red fruits that are pleasantly flavored and used as a substitute for limes. One to several trunks are crooked and the 4-6 in. long, dark-green leaves are velvety beneath. For more information click HERE.
Redbud
The Redbud is a small tree with heart shaped leaves. It blossoms with lavender-pink flowers in the spring before the leaves appear. The leaves have a yellow fall color. It grows to about 30′ in height. This tree requires partial shade. For more information see: USDA Plant Guide Redbud.
Southern Magnolia
The Southern Magnolia is a distinctive evergreen tree with white fragrant flowers. It needs lots of room to grow. It grows to 60+’ in height. This tree adapts to most soils. It makes a nice specimen tree. It favors full sun, but will grow in partial shade. For more information see: USDA Plant Guide Magnolia.
Sweetbay Magnolia
The leaves are evergreen in the South. Young leaves are clothed in a dense silky-wooly pubescence on the underside which becomes matted and dirty-whitish with age. The leaves are glossy, dark green above, and when bruised, smell a little like the leaves of bay laurel. The cup shaped flowers are creamy white and lemony fragrant. The fruiting “cone” is an aggregate of pinkish fruits which split open at maturity to release red-coated black seeds. Sweetbay needs an acidic soil. Sweetbay grows well in full sun to partial shade. Florida DEP classifies sweetbay as an obligate wetland species, defined as a species which occurs “almost always under natural conditions in wetlands.” Nevertheless, once established, sweetbay survives nicely in upland soils.
Strawberry Bush
Distinctive, gracefully branched shrub or small tree with glossy, deep green foliage. Masses of white flowers are followed by showy strawberry-like fruit. Drought tolerant when established. And easy, drought tolerant specimen for borders or massed as an informal hedge. Evergreen. For more information see: USDA Plant Guide Strawberry bush.
Tulip Poplar
Also called yellow poplar, the tulip poplar is taller than all other eastern broadleaf trees. It can reach a height of 197 ft. It’s large leaves turn golden-yellow in the fall. In spring, it blooms large, yellowish- green tulip-like flowers. Other characteristics include cone-like clusters of terminally winged fruits, aromatic purplish brown twigs with winter buds resembling a duck’s bill, and a straight trunk with an oblong crown. A tulip tree reaches its full stature in approximately 200 years. The tulip tree is relatively free of pests and diseases. It is a useful, large shade tree. For more information see: USDA Plant Guide Tulip Poplar.
American Snowbell
A profusion of fragrant white bell-shaped flowers decorate this small tree in May. So many pollinators are drawn to the flowers that the plant hums with life. Flowering occurs in the late spring at about the same time as its better known relative the silverbell tree. Although the flowers are on the small side, even a small bush produces large numbers hanging below the branches. My snowbells produced flowers in their second year. Tolerates wet lands or higher land.
Walters Viburnum
This viburnum is an evergreen bush producing snowy white flowers in spring. Low maintenance, and medium water required. Enjoys sun to filtered shade.
