A tree with white flowers adds beauty and a touch of magic to your yard or garden. You have tons of choices of white flowering trees that you can use as an accent or grouping for your home landscaping. The right one for you has to do with where you live and the type of tree you want (you might even pick more than one).
Choose the Right Tree With White Flowers
There are lots of reasons to pick a tree for your yard. You may need a tree for patio shade but prefer one that offers white spring flowers. Or maybe you want to create a focal point by your front door. Consider one of these 14 trees with white flowers:
- White dogwood
- Yoshino cherry tree
- Southern magnolia
- Natchez crape myrtle tree
- Cleveland pear tree
- Spring snow crabapple
- Washington hawthorn
- White Rose of Sharon
- Royal white redbud
- White Snow Fountains® weeping cherry
- Japanese lilac
- Japanese snowbell
- Sweet Tea
- American fringe
Many of the white flowering trees also provide colorful fall foliage for further enjoyment. We love trees for year-round beauty, so consider how your tree might look when it isn't blooming.
1. White Dogwood
The white dogwood (Cornus florida) is perhaps the most well-known white flower tree. There are around 60 species of dogwoods (Cornaceae family). The white dogwood tree is one you'll often find in yard landscapes. You can plant for individual showcasing or as a grouping.
- Height: 15'-30'
- Spread: 15'-30'
- Sun: Full to partial shade
- Blooms: April-May
- Fall: Red foliage
- Zones: 5-8
2. Yoshino Cherry Tree
Yoshino cherry tree (Prunus x yedoensis) is also called the Japanese flowering cherry tree. It is featured in various cherry blossom festivals (for good reason). The tree makes an excellent landscape centerpiece or can be planted near a patio or deck.
- Height: 30'-40'
- Spread: 30-40'
- Sun: Full sun to part shade
- Bloom: March to April
- Fall: Gold and bronze foliage
- Zones: 5-8
3. Southern Magnolia
Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) is an evergreen with dark green broad leaves. The big white flowers are 8"-12" in diameter and have a fragrant aroma. The flowers produce a cone-like fruiting in clusters that are 3"-5" long. The Southern magnolia is a beautiful showcase tree for any yard.
- Height: 60'-80'
- Spread: 30'-50'
- Sun: Full, partial shade
- Bloom: May to June
- Fall: Evergreen
- Zones: 7- 9
Love the look of a magnolia but live in the north? No worries. There are lots of varieties of magnolia trees, and some are perfectly happier growing in colder climates.
4. Natchez Crape Myrtle Tree
A summer flowering tree, the Natchez crape myrtle tree (Lagerstroemia 'Natchez') is known for its showy bloom from summer into fall. This fast-growing tree is often called lilac of the South. When the National Arboretum in Washington, DC, created crape myrtle hybrids, the crape myrtles were named for Native American tribes. You can use this tree for a tall screening with multiple plantings or line a driveway or walkway.
- Height: 4'-21'
- Spread: 4'-21'
- Sun: Full
- Bloom: July-September
- Fall: Orange to red foliage
- Zones: 7-9
5. Cleveland Pear Tree
The Cleveland pear tree is known as the Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana 'Chanticleer'). It has a pyramidal and oval shape that matures into a beautiful oval, making it a popular ornamental tree. It is a popular choice for lining streets and medians. This tree is often used in groupings along property borders and driveways.
- Height: 25'-35'
- Spread: 13'-16'
- Sun: Full sun
- Bloom: April
- Fall: Reddish-purple
- Zones: 5-9
6. Spring Snow Crabapple
The spring snow crabapple tree (Malus 'Spring Snow') is commonly known as crabapple. The spring snow crabapple doesn't produce any fruit, making it a popular ornamental choice for yard landscapes as an accent tree, or you may choose to use it in a grouping.
- Height: 20'-25'
- Spread: 15'-20'
- Sun: Full
- Bloom: April
- Fall: Yellow foliage
- Zone: 4- 8
7. Washington Hawthorn
The Washington hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum) is a compact tree. While other trees produce new green leaves, the Washington hawthorn's first spring leaf growth is reddish purple that turns a rich, lush green. The flowers are white clusters and once spent, they produce brilliant red berries. The branches have thorns, which make this tree a favorite among property owners who wish to create privacy barriers or security plantings. The hawthorn can be pruned to form a hedge that would dissuade most trespassers. You may prefer to use a single tree for landscaping or a grouping of trees.
- Height: 25'-30'
- Spread: 25'-30'
- Sun: Full
- Bloom: Late spring to early summer
- Fall: Mix of orange, red, and possibly purple foliage
- Zones: 3'-8'
8. White Rose of Sharon
The White Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus 'Notwoodtwo'-White Chiffon) is a shrubbery that can be grown as a tree. It has a vase shape that makes it a desirable landscaping short tree with multi-stems. It's a tree with big white flowers that can become a focal point in your landscape.
- Height: 5'-8'
- Spread: 4'-6'
- Sun: Full or partial
- Bloom: June-September
- Fall: None
- Zone: 5-8
Before you plant this tree, check with local regulations. Despite its beauty, it's considered invasive in many states.
9. Royal White Redbud
Royal white redbud (Cercis canadensis f. alba 'Royal White') is a nice addition to a small or large yard. The tree has an appealing vase shape. The flowers are large and fill the branches. When the white flowers stop blooming, the green leaves appear in a beautiful heart shape. If you want a fast-growing tree, the Royal white redbud will grow up to two feet a year.
- Height: 15'- 25'
- Spread: 15'-25'
- Bloom: April
- Sun: Full, partial
- Fall: Pale yellow, yellow-green
- Zone: 4- 9
10. Ornamental White Snow Fountains® Weeping Cherry Tree
The White Snow Fountains® weeping cherry tree (Prunus x 'Snofozam' White) is elegant and cascading. The flowers have a nice fragrance that will perfume your garden, patio, or yard. This tree deserves to be showcased in its sweeping arched waterfall of branches of white flowers. The leaves are dark green.
- Height: 8'-15'
- Spread: 8'-10'
- Sun: Full
- Bloom: April
- Fall: Orange, Red
- Zones: 5-9
11. Japanese Lilac
Japanese lilac (Syringa reticulata) can typically grown as a small tree. However, many people enjoy it as a very large shrub through pruning. Some gardeners choose this tree to use as a hedge. The creamy white flowers have a cloyingly sweet aroma. The leaves are dark green and are up to 6" long. The tree makes a great street or lawn tree. You may enjoy plantings by a deck or patio. Small groupings are gorgeous in landscape designs while pruning the trees into a privacy screen/hedge is another common use in home landscaping.
- Height: 20'-30'
- Spread: 15'- 20'
- Sun: Full
- Bloom: June
- Fall: None
- Zones: 3'-7'
12. Japanese Snowbell
The Japanese snowbell (Styrax japonicus) features horizontal branches and has a round crown. Under the right conditions, it can grow up to 50' high. The white waxy flowers are compact and bell-shaped. They produce a mild fragrance. The gray bark often develops fissures with age to reveal the stunning inner bark that is an orange color. You can use this tree for your yard, prune it for a border, or plant it in a wooded area in your garden.
- Height: 20'-30'
- Spread: 20'-30'
- Sun: Full, partial
- Bloom: May-June
- Fall: May turn red or yellow
- Zones: 5 to 9
13. Sweet Tea
Sweet Tea (Gordlinia grandiflora) is commonly known as mountain gordlinia or simply as Sweet Tea. It is an intergeneric hybrid made in 2002 by the North Carolina State University Department of Horticultural Science. Sweet Tea is a fast-growing hybrid that can be pruned as a multi-stemmed shrub or allowed to grow as a tree. The flowers are cupped or flattened and have a camellia appearance with center egg-yolk yellow stamens. You may choose this white flower tree for an accent addition to your landscaping.
- Height: 20'-30'
- Spread: 8'-15'
- Sun: Full or partial
- Bloom: July-September
- Fall: Yellow, red
- Zones: 7- 9
14. American Fringe White Flowering Trees
American fringe's (Chionanthus virginicus) creamy white flowers produce blue-colored berries that create a beautiful addition to your yard. Its green spear-shaped leaves grow up to 8" long. You can plant the tree in your yard or along property borders. Many people plant American fringe trees around ponds or along a man-made or natural stream.
- Height: 12'-20'
- Spread: 12'-20'
- Sun: Full or partial
- Bloom: May-June
- Fall: Yellow
- Zone: 3 to 9
White Flowering Tree Identification Tips
If you're driving or walking and see a beautiful tree with white flowers, you can probably figure out what kind it is by thinking about a few factors.
- Consider the location. Many flowering trees and bushes, such as lilacs, only thrive in certain areas of the country.
- Think about the size. Some trees, like the Japanese snowbell, can grow really tall. Others, like the Rose of Sharon, only reach a modest height. Knowing the size can help you narrow down the options.
- Examine the leaf and flower shapes. Once you've narrowed down your options based on location and size, compare the shape of leaves and flowers to other white flowering trees that live in your area.
Use Trees With White Flowers for Stunning Landscapes
Now that you know what kind of tree has white flowers in the spring, you can consider your options based on your location and the size of the tree (plus how much care you want to give it). A list of trees with white flowers can help you choose the perfect species for your landscaping needs. White flowering trees can add a whimsical and magical appeal to your front yard, garden, or backyard patio.
