11 Best Pink Flowering Trees for Your Yard

By
David Beaulieu
David Beaulieu
David Beaulieu

David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 05/03/23
Reviewed by
Julie Thompson-Adolf
Julie Thompson-Adolf
Reviewed by Julie Thompson-Adolf

Julie Thompson-Adolf is a Master Gardener and author with over 30 years of experience in year-round organic gardening; seed starting, growing heirlooms, and sustainable farming.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
Kwanzan cherry tree with branches full of pink blossoms

The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

Pink flowering trees give a bright, cheerful look to any yard. They range in size from moderately tall trees to smaller trees that can be grown as shrubs, instead, if you so choose. Most bloom in spring, so look for features other than flowers to add interest to the yard after spring blooms have faded. For example, for autumn interest, you can grow a crabapple for its ornamental fruits or a horse chestnut tree for its unusual nuts. Here are 11 deciduous trees that produce pink flowers.

Warning

Some of the trees listed here may be toxic to humans and animals.

  • 01 of 11

    Kwanzan Cherry

    Kwanzan cherry tree with clusters of pink blossoms on bare branches

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Kwanzan cherry (Prunus serrulata 'Kwanzan'), a moderate-growing tree (1 to 2 feet annually) that grows up to 25 ft. tall, is one of the upright-growing cherries. It's most valued for its double, pink blossoms. But the coppery color of its early leaves is also attractive. Like many cherry trees, Kwanzan is short-lived due to pest and disease problems. Parts of the tree, including the leaves, stems, and seeds, are toxic to humans and pets.

    • Name: Kwanzan cherry (Prunus serrulata 'Kwanzan')
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
    • Mature Size: 15–25 ft. tall, 13–26 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant: Yes
  • 02 of 11

    Weeping Higan Cherry

    Weeping higan cherry tree with drooping branches covered in small pink flowers

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    One of the cascading trees (a form that adds summer and fall interest to the yard), weeping higan (Prunus x subhirtella 'Pendula') is one of the most commonly grown ornamental cherry trees. It grows at a moderate rate (1 foot a year), reaches 20 to 30 ft. in height at maturity, and it's considered moderate to tall in height for a pink flowering tree. Glossy green leaves turn yellow in the fall for added interest.

    • Name: Higan cherry tree (Prunus x subhirtella 'Pendula')
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
    • Mature Size: 20 to 30 ft. tall, 15 to 25 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant: No
  • 03 of 11

    Flowering Almond Tree

    Flowering almond tree with small pink flower clusters on branches

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    The Prunus genus includes a number of different trees, ornamental as well as some grown for their edible fruit. The flowering almond tree (Prunus triloba 'Multiplex') is an ornamental almond tree. 'Multiplex', can add 1 foot a year, growing up to 15 feet tall, and is one of the showier cultivars with double flowers that does not produce fruit. There are also dwarf flowering almond trees (Prunus glandulosa) that grow only 5 feet high. Flowering almond is more cold tolerant than flowering cherry. In addition, flowering almond trees are toxic to humans and animals.

    • Name: Flowering almond (Prunus triloba 'Multiplex')
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 7
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Fertile, medium moisture, well-draining
    • Mature Size: 10-15 ft. tall
    • Deer Resistant: Yes
  • 04 of 11

    Crabapple

    Crabapple tree with pink blossoms covering twisted branches

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Some people like the fruits that succeed the flowers of crabapple trees (Malus spp.), while others don't, regarding them as too messy. If you enjoy watching wild birds in winter, consider tolerating the mess, since the fruits do draw birds and can even offer some ornamental value. The popular Malus sargentii has pink buds that open white, but for pink flowers, you'll want to grow Malus 'Robinson' (25 ft. tall). Crabapples can be toxic to animals.

    • Name: Crabapple (Malus spp.)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Rich, loamy, well-draining
    • Mature Size: 15–20 ft. tall, 12–20 ft. wide (occasionally larger)
    • Deer Resistant: No
    Continue to 5 of 11 below.
  • 05 of 11

    Pink Flowering Dogwood

    Pink flowering dogwood branches with small pink blossoms by hillside

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Of the common dogwoods in the United States, the pink flowering dogwood (Cornus florida var. rubra), at 30 ft. tall, is the native, while Cornus kousa comes from eastern Asia. Besides offering pretty pink blossoms in spring, both have foliage that turns purplish in fall, yield berries that attract birds, and have interesting horizontal branching patterns. But their respective berries are quite different: those of Cornus florida are bead-like, while those of Cornus kousa are raspberry-like.

    • Name: Pink flowering dogwood (Cornus florida var. rubra)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Light: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Average, evenly moist, well-draining
    • Mature Size: 15-30 ft. tall, 15-30+ ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant: Yes
  • 06 of 11

    Pink Japanese Dogwood

    Satomi dogwood flower closeup.

    Laszlo Podor/Getty Images

    Fifteen feet tall at maturity, the pink Japanese dogwood (Cornus kousa 'Satomi') stays shorter than the species plant (which can go to 30 feet), making it a good choice if you don't have room for a bigger tree. It flowers later (June) than most of the other entries on the list, which is helpful if you plan for sequence of bloom. Another benefit of Japanese dogwood is that it resists anthracnose disease better than the American natives.

    • Name: Pink Japanese dogwood (Cornus kousa 'Satomi')
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
    • Light: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Fertile, medium moisture, well-draining
    • Mature Size: 15 ft. tall and wide
    • Deer Resistant: No (deer eat berries only)

    Tip

    Don't be surprised if any of your pink flowering trees turn out white blooms over time or stop blooming for a season or two. Sometimes it means the tree is aging or the tree mutated. Other times it may be a matter of soil and/or temperature changes affecting the developing buds.

  • 07 of 11

    Magnolia 'Jane'

    Jane magnolia in bloom.

    The Spruce / David Beaulieu

    Short by magnolia standards (just 15 ft. tall), the blooms of 'Jane' (Magnolia liliflora 'Reflorescens' x stellate 'Waterlily') are quite large (they can reach 8 in. across) for such a small tree. 'Jane' produces suckers; this is one reason why the plant can be pruned so as to grow it as a multi-stemmed shrub if you wish. Along with the dogwoods, the magnolias can be grown in acidic soil. The leathery green leaves turn yellow and bronze in the fall.

    • Name: Magnolia 'Jane' (Magnolia liliflora 'Reflorescens' x stellate 'Waterlily')
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
    • Light: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
    • Mature Size: 8-12 ft. wide, 10-15 ft. tall
    • Deer Resistant: Sometimes
  • 08 of 11

    Saucer Magnolia

    Saucer magnolia tree branches with light pink saucer-shaped flowers and buds

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Stick with 'Jane' if you own a small yard. Like 'Jane,' the saucer magnolias are famous for their large pink blooms. The tree has a medium growth at 1 to 2 feet a year. But if you have a large property, you may like the traditional saucer magnolias (Magnolia x soulangiana).

    • Name: Saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangiana)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
    • Light: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
    • Mature Size: 20 to 25 ft. tall, 20 to 25 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant: Yes
    Continue to 9 of 11 below.
  • 09 of 11

    Red Horse Chestnut

    Red horse chestnut tree with pink flower spikes on branches

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    One of the taller trees with pink flowers (40 ft. at maturity), red horse chestnut (Aesculus × carnea) may start out red, but the flowers tend to become deep pink over time. The "x" in the botanical name indicates that this tree is a hybrid. Specifically, it is a cross between red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) and common horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum). The spiky flower clusters are 6 to 8 in. long and poke out of dark green foliage that also offers ornamental value. The namesake nuts are shiny and measure about 1 in. wide and tall. Don't mistake these toxic nuts for edible chestnuts: horse chestnuts develop a fleshy, bumpy husk with a wart-covered appearance.

    • Name: Red horse chestnut (Aesculus × carnea)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
    • Light: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
    • Mature Size: 30-40 ft. tall
    • Deer Resistant: Yes
  • 10 of 11

    Eastern Redbud

    Eastern redbud tree with pink flowers clustered on branches

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) has reddish-pink buds, but, when they open, the flowers are dark pink, not red. Maturing at 30 ft. tall (gaining 1 to 2 feet annually), redbud flowers in early spring before it even leafs out. 'Covey' is a weeping cultivar. Redbuds offer gorgeous fall color for continued interest.

    • Name: Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
    • Light: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
    • Mature Size: 20 to 30 feet tall, 30 to 35 feet wide 
    • Deer Resistant: No
  • 11 of 11

    Crepe Myrtle

    Crepe myrtle tree with pink flower clusters on branches

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Depending on the type you grow and the region you grow it in, crepe myrtle, also spelled crape myrtle, (Lagerstroemia indica) can mature anywhere from 10 to 25 ft. tall or more. A staple of the American Southeast, it is one of the more heat-tolerant of the pink flowering trees. It's also one of the fastest-growing trees, adding more than 2 feet annually. The bark adds gorgeous winter interest.

    • Name: Crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 6 to 9
    • Light: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
    • Mature Size: 6-25+ ft. tall, 6-20 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant: Yes

Learn More

If you want to learn more about flowering trees for your yard or how to maximize the blooms, read on:

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Toxic Plants (by Common Name). University of California Agriculture, and Natural Resources.

  2. Cherry. ASPCA.

  3. Prunis Triloba 'Multiplex'. Missouri Botanical Garden.

  4. Prunus glandulosa. North Carolina University Extension Toolbox.

  5. Cherry. Pet Poison Helpline.

  6. Apple. ASPCA.

  7. Difference Between Horse Chestnuts and Sweet Chestnuts. Michigan State University Extension Office.