Due to the size and expense of trees, gardeners tend to put a lot more thought into the ones they ultimately buy for their landscapes. While a perennial might only live for six or seven years, a tree might grace a garden for 50 years or more—perhaps outliving the person who so carefully selected it. Here at Fine Gardening, we feel strongly that trees should look good in more than one season (for all of the reasons above AND because they take up a lot of real estate). Therefore, on today’s episode, we may be highlighting our favorite flowering trees for every season, but these choices have more going for them than just some fleeting blooms. Listen to learn about which trees we’re willing to sacrifice a chunk of our paycheck on and why.   

Amanda Bennett is vice president of horticulture and collections at Atlanta Botanical Gardens in Georgia. 

Danielle’s Plants 

Spring: ‘Don Egolf’ Chinese redbud (Cercis chinensis ‘Don Egolf’, Zones 5b–9)  

Summer: ‘Milk and Honey’ Japanese stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia ‘Milk and Honey’, Zones 5–7) 

Autumn: Red Balloon^® viburnum (Viburnum × rhytidophylloides ‘Redell’, Zones 4–8) 

Winter: ‘Pink Perfection’ camellia (Camellia japonica ‘Pink Perfection’, Zones 7–10) 

Carol’s Plants  

Spring: ‘Wada’s Memory’ magnolia (Magnolia × kewensis ‘Wada’s Memory’, Zones 5–8) 

Summer: sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum, Zones 5–9) 

Autumn: seven-son flower (Heptacodium miconioides, Zones 5-9) 

Winter: ‘Sweet Sunshine’ witch hazel (Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Sweet Sunshine’) 

Expert’s Plants  

Winter:  Yunnan magnolia (Magnolia laevifolia syn. M. yunanensis, Zones 8b–11) 

Spring: two-winged silverbell  (Halesia diptera, Zones 6–9)

Summer: Japanese stewartia (Stewartia pseudocamellia, Zones 5–8) 

Fall: common witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana, Zones 3–9)