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Nothing restores the soul after a cold, hard winter more than the first blossoms of spring on trees and bushes. Royal star magnolias, saucer magnolias, and the iconic flowering cherries are some of the first signs that life is returning to the trees around us. And nothing smells as sweet as those very first flowers.
Though our state tree, dogwood, and redbuds are early bloomers, they do not emit much fragrance compared to magnolias and ornamental fruit trees. “Redbud trees are abundant, ” says James Ulmer of Back to Nature Landscaping. “As native trees, they not only enhance the beauty of our region but also support local wildlife.” Dogwoods are also native but have a harder time dealing with warm weather and long spells of drought.
Fragrance in the Air
Ornamental peach trees are adaptable to many climates and attract pollinators and wildlife, which helps support biodiversity. Their showy, fragrant flowers have a sweet aroma similar to honey and almond, and their big billowy blooms provide an excellent shade canopy.
For those with a yard is on the smaller side who want to soak up the perfume of spring blooms, fragrant bushes are great choices. Jasmine and lilacs are excellent native shrubs and, when planted together, make lovely hedges. Flowering quince is a fast-growing shrub with vibrant spring flowers.
While not particularly fragrant, the oakleaf hydrangea does well and provides beauty even into the fall and winter months, as its broad oak-shaped leaves turn a rich red color. Serviceberry is a native tree that provides year-round interest with white spring flowers, yellow to red fall foliage, smooth gray bark and edible purple fruit.
Lesser Known Flowering Bushes
Patricia Poteet, a plant designer at Back to Nature Landscaping, offers other ideas that are gaining popularity:
• Illuminati spice mockorange is an old-fashioned fragrant shrub that has been bred for a smaller size, making it easier to use in small gardens.
• Chaste tree has fragrant light purple blooms in summer with cultivars ranging in size from five to 12 feet tall.
• Loropetalums is a dramatic shrub with dark plum foliage and pink to red blooms. They have good deer resistance, and cultivars range from two to five feet tall and wide.
Think Twice on These
Though forsythia is an abundant hedge, its pretty yellow flowers do not support wildlife. It is considered invasive, crowding out other flowering natives like buttonbush, mountain laurel and chokeberry. Peonies will knock off your socks with their fragrance. The flowers are gorgeous, but heavy, drooping significantly on the bush or in a vase, and they attract ants in large numbers, on the bush or in a vase.
Where to Begin
Local nurseries are an excellent place to start your search for flowering trees and shrubs once you have assembled info on your outdoor spaces.
t Do you have mostly sun or shade?
t Well-drained soil or clay?
t Might deer be a nuisance?
t Do you have a convenient source to water regularly until a young planting is established?
t Do you have a mulched bed for planting?
“Mulching helps mitigate soil temperature fluctuations, reduces weeds, and helps retain moisture,” Patricia explains. “The mulch should be 3-4 inches thick and pulled back from the base of any tree. Mulching also prevents mowers and trimmers from getting too close to the tree and damaging the trunk.”
Plant Health Tips
James adds that one of his pet peeves is the dreaded mulch volcano. “Mulch volcanoes—when mulch is piled high around the base of a tree—do more harm than good. They trap moisture against the trunk, leading to rot, disease and pest infestations. Excessive mulch can suffocate roots, prevent proper oxygen exchange and cause root girdling, which slowly strangles the tree.”
Keep trees and plants healthy by fertilizing twice a year (typically winter and spring) with granular fertilizer. “Fertilization is important for maintaining healthy plants,” says Patricia. “Organic fertilizer reduces heat and drought stress, improves water and nutrient uptake, enhances plant response to environmental stressors, and contains root-stimulating endomycorrihizal and ectomycorrhizal fungi.”
Another great tip is to cover newly planted shrubs during cold snaps, and water thoroughly during stretches of drought.
The last, and possibly most pernicious affliction for new plants and trees is deer. Without adequate deer-proofing, your new plantings offer an afternoon snack for local fauna. Invest in deer protectors for the trunks or wire cages to prevent both antler rubbing and grazing. Use four t-post stakes and run welded wire fencing around them, at least 5 feet tall is ideal. There are also motion-activated noisy devices to deter deer, but the neighbors might not love that idea.
Speaking of neighbors, walking around your neighborhood making note of what is flourishing is a great way to see what grows well where. Maybe you can tiptoe in for a quick sniff of spring.
Emily K. Alberts has sadly watched the deer nibble away some of her spring favorites. Writing this article has steeled her resolve to add to her own spring shrub blossoms with deer-resistant measures in place.
Text by Emily K. Alberts
