At winter’s end, what could be more welcome than an explosion—even a rather quiet one—of flowers at eye level? Early-blooming deciduous trees and shrubs provide just that, energizing us as their branches, often while still devoid of leaves, make true the promise of spring. Many times these woody plants are also a boon to emerging pollinators as they forage for nectar and pollen in the lean early season.
Here are 10 of our favorite woodies that bloom as winter yields to spring:
1. Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis)
An understory tree native to much of eastern North America, the redbud tree reaches no taller than 30 feet, making it a good tree for smaller gardens and front yards. Often growing with multiple trunks, this tree develops a wide crown that whose architecture and early flowering enhance ground-level companions like bulbs, ephemerals and woodland perennials. Electric pink blossoms line redbud’s branches in early spring. A number of cultivars have emerged over the last decades, from breeding focused on habit (like the weeping ‘Covey’) and leaf color (as in the purple ‘Forest Pansy’ and flame-hued The Rising Sun (‘JN2’).
Eastern redbuds grow best with consistent moisture and good drainage. Although this tree can take full sun, it benefits from afternoon shade in hot summers. Though it won’t likely need pruning for size, it should be trimmed to remove dead wood and maintain air flow. Zones 4–8.
2. Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida)
This North American tree is similar in size and shape to the redbud, but its flowering looks much different. Large, long-lasting showy bracts surround its tiny true flowers, giving the appearance of a large blossom. The bracts can be white or pink, ranging from bubblegum to salmon to nearly crimson, depending on cultivar. Leaves appear once flowering is well underway, and turn pleasant colors in the fall.
Flowering dogwood will grow in full sun or part shade and moist, well-drained soil. This tree can fall victim to anthracnose, a fungus that causes leaf blight and branch cankers. To guard against the disease, place the tree in full sun, remove symptomatic growth, dispose of shed leaves and limit stress caused by drought or injury. A spring application of fungicide by a certified arborist is effective against anthracnose. ‘Appalachian Spring’ is a highly resistant cultivar, as are the Rutgers hybrids that combine C. florida with the Asian C. kousa). Zones 5–9.
3. Cornelian cherry dogwood (Cornus mas)
A largely problem-free species native to southeastern Europe and western Asia, the cornelian cherry dogwood rivals the more widely known forsythia with its own late-winter golden flowers. It tends to grow as a large shrub, but it can be trained as a tree. Red summer berries attract birds, and though the fall foliage is not particularly colorful, the exfoliating bark provides some off-season interest.
Place cornelian cherry dogwood in full sun or part shade. Moist, well-drained soil is ideal, but it can tolerate short periods of drought or flooding. It can spread by suckers; promptly remove these to constrain the growth, if desired. Zones 4–8.
4. Two-wing silverbell (Halesia diptera)
Delicate, drooping white flowers provide early spring appeal on this southeast-US native that grows as a large (to 20 feet), upright, multistemmed shrub. (It can also be pruned into tree form.) In both appearance and growing requirements, it is suited to the woodland garden where it can provide a middle layer of interest and bloom in concert with early perennials.
Two-wing silverbell prefers a spot in full sun or part shade. A denizen of streambanks and damp woods in the wild, it needs regular moisture and a rich soil in the garden. Provide leaf-litter mulch or a groundcover companion to help keep silverbell’s roots cool and moist. Zones 5–8.
5. Pinkshell azalea (Rhododendron vaseyi)
A deciduous azalea reaching a rounded 8 to 12 feet, pinkshell azalea blooms before leafing out, its exceptionally pale flowers opening from deep magenta buds. These flowers have prominent stamens and the trumpet shape is less pronounced than on other types. As a bonus, the leaves provide good autumn color, especially with sun.
Pinkshell azalea hails from high, damp sites in North Carolina’s Appalachian Mountains, where it is becoming rare. Provide nursery selections with full sun or part shade and consistently moist soil, especially in the first few seasons. Zones 5–7.
6. Witch hazel (Hamamelis)
Witch hazels grow between 10 and 20 feet tall and most have a vase shape with upright or arching branches. Blooming occurs between late fall and earliest spring, with exact timing dependent on the species. The flowers have numerous long, skinny petals that make each blossom resemble a spider or firework. The flowers, which can be yellow, orange, red or purple, are showiest on Hamamelis xintermedia cultivars, crosses between two Asian species. The flowers are also fragrant, with the strongest scent coming from the North American species H. virginiana and H. vernalis.
Witch hazels need full sun, moderate water and well-drained soil. Because younger wood blooms best, selective pruning of more mature branches heightens the flower show. These shrubs can be slow growing, but require space that will accommodate their mature size, so site accordingly. Zones 4–9.
7. Fothergilla (Fothergilla)
Fothergillas range in size from four to eight feet, depending on species or cultivar, but all offer a neatly rounded growth habit, profuse white bottlebrush flowers in early to mid-spring and vivid fall foliage. Numerous hybrids exist, with distinctive traits such as small stature (such as ‘Mt. Airy’) or blue-tinged leaves (‘Blue Shadow’).
Grow fothergilla in full sun or part shade, in average soil with good drainage. Flowering will be best in full sun. It prefers acidic soil and regular watering, especially in summer heat. Remove suckers (new plants rising from the base) if they appear and you don't want the shrub to spread. USDA Zones 5–8.
8. Spike winter hazel (Corylopsis spicata)
Sweetly fragrant, butter-yellow bells dangle from the bare branches of this shrub in late winter. It lends interesting architecture to the garden with its horizontal branching. It grows four to eight feet tall and its width typically beats its height.
Plant spike winter hazel in full sun or part shade and fertile, well-drained soil. It benefits from a position in a warm microclimate that will protect its flowers from frost. Zones 5–8.
9. Beach plum (Prunus maritima)
Eye-catching white flowers adorn this Atlantic coast native in early to mid-spring, while the six- to eight-foot shrub is still leafless. The blossoms are a key food source for emerging pollinators and, like most species in the genus Prunus, beach plum serves as a larval host for many moths and butterflies. With its somewhat scraggly habit and propensity to sucker, this rugged shrub suits mixed hedgerows and naturalistic plantings.
Beach plum tolerates drought, salt spray and lean soil, thanks to its evolution on barrier islands. Provide full sun. Snip new shoots off at the base to control spread. The bird-attracting fruit is edible but tart. For best production, plant multiple specimens. Zones 3–8.
10. Paperbush (Edgeworthia chrysantha)
This Himalayan shrub puts on a long show beginning with its fuzzy, silver flower buds that form in autumn and decorate the cinnamon-colored branches through winter. As spring approaches, these open into round umbels of fragrant tubular flowers. The leaves that later emerge grow long, narrow and deep green, somewhat resembling that of schefflera or daphne (to which it is related). The shrub reaches four to five feet tall and wide.
Paperbush grows well in shade, but the best flowering and a more compact habit will occur with several hours of sun (preferably in the morning). With more sun, this shrub will also require more water. ‘Snow Cream’ is a larger cultivar with the potential to survive Zone 6 with protection, though paperbush is typically considered reliable in Zones 7 through 9.
Photo credits: 1. Eastern redbud by Katja Schulz/CC BY 2.0; 2. Flowering dogwood by Plant Image Library/CC BY-SA 2.0; 3. Cornelian cherry dogwood by Andrey Zharkikh/CC BY 2.0; 4. Two-wing silverbell by delirium florens/CC BY 2.0; 5. Pinkshell azalea by Plant Image Library/CC BY-SA 2.0; 6. Witch hazel by Megan Hansen/CC BY-SA 2.0; 7. Fothergilla by Maja Dumat/CC BY 2.0; 8. Spike winter hazel by alh1/CC BY-SA 2.0; 9. Beach plum by Plant Image Library/CC BY-SA 2.0; 10. Paperbush by Hiroshi Nishimoto/CC BY 2.0
