11 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. He was in the nursery business for over a decade, working with a large variety of plants. David has been interviewed by numerous newspapers and national U.S. magazines, such as Woman's World and American Way.
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Updated on 11/02/21
Reviewed by
Julie Thompson-Adolf
Julie Thompson-Adolf
Reviewed by Julie Thompson-Adolf
Julie Thompson-Adolf is a master gardener and author. She has 13+ years of experience with year-round organic gardening; seed starting and saving; growing heirloom plants, perennials, and annuals; and sustainable and urban 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.

  • 01 of 11

    Kwanzan Cherry (Prunus serrulata 'Kwanzan')

    Kwanzan cherry tree with clusters of pink blossoms on bare branches

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Kwanzan, which 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.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 8
    • Color Varieties: Pink
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
  • 02 of 11

    Weeping Higan Cherry (Prunus x subhirtella ‘Pendula’)

    Weeping higan cherry tree in bloom.

    masahiro Makino/Getty Images 

    One of the cascading trees (a form that adds summer and fall interest to the yard), weeping higan is one of the most commonly grown ornamental cherry trees. At 30 ft. in height at maturity, it's considered moderate to tall in height for a pink flowering tree. Glossy green leaves turn yellow in fall for added interest.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 8
    • Color Varieties: Pink, white
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
  • 03 of 11

    Flowering Almond Tree (Prunus triloba 'Multiplex')

    Branch of flowering almond tree blooming.

    Creativ Studio Heinemann/Getty Images

    The Prunus genus includes a number of different trees, ornamental as well as some grown for their edible fruit. The flowering almond tree is an ornamental almond tree. 'Multiplex', growing up to 15 feet tall, is one of the showier cultivars. Flowering almond is more cold tolerant than flowering cherry.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 7
    • Color Varieties: Pink
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Fertile, medium moisture, well-draining
  • 04 of 11

    Crabapple (Malus spp.)

    Crabapple tree branch in bloom with deep-pink flowers.

    Lisa Kling/Getty Images 

    Some people like the fruits that succeed the flowers of crabapple trees, 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).

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
    • Color Varieties: Pink, white
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
    Continue to 5 of 11 below.
  • 05 of 11

    Pink Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida 'Rubra')

    Flowering dogwood tree with red flowers.

    Nathan Blaney/Getty Images 

    Of the common dogwoods in the U.S., Cornus florida (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.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 9
    • Color Varieties: Pink
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Average, evenly moist, well-draining
  • 06 of 11

    Pink Japanese Dogwood (Cornus kousa 'Satomi')

    Satomi dogwood flower closeup.

    Laszlo Podor/Getty Images

    Fifteen feet tall at maturity, 'Satomi' stays shorter than the species plant, 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.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 8
    • Color Varieties: Pink
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Fertile, medium moisture, well-draining
  • 07 of 11

    Jane Magnolia (Magnolia 'Jane')

    Jane magnolia in bloom.
    David Beaulieu

    Short by magnolia standards (just 15 ft. tall), the blooms of 'Jane' 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.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
    • Color Varieties: Purplish-pink (bottom of petal)
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
  • 08 of 11

    Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangiana)

    Saucer magnolia tree in flower.

     Landscapes, Seascapes, Jewellery & Action Photographer/Getty Images

    Reaching 25 ft. tall at maturity, saucer magnolias are better-suited to larger properties; stick with 'Jane' if you own a small yard. Like 'Jane,' the saucer magnolias are famous for their large blooms.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 9
    • Color Varieties: Purplish-pink, pinkish-white, pure pink, magenta
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
    Continue to 9 of 11 below.
  • 09 of 11

    Red Horse Chestnut (Aesculus × carnea)

    Flower of the red horse chestnut tree.

    Photos from Japan, Asia and the world/Getty Images

    One of the taller trees with pink flowers (40 ft. at maturity), red horse chestnut 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 with edible chestnuts: horse chestnuts develop a fleshy, bumpy husk with wart-covered appearance.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 8
    • Color Varieties: Pink
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
  • 10 of 11

    Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

    Branch of a redbud tree in bloom.

    magicflute002/Getty Images

    Redbud has reddish-pink buds, but, when they open, the flowers are dark pink, not red. Maturing at 30 ft. tall, redbud flowers in early spring before it even leafs out. 'Covey' is a weeping cultivar. Redbuds offer gorgeous fall color for continued interest.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
    • Color Varieties: Pink, white
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
  • 11 of 11

    Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.)

    Crape myrtle tree flowering in pink.

     Simon McGill/Getty Images

    Depending on the type you grow and the region you grow it in, crepe myrtle can mature anywhere from 10 to 30 ft. tall. A staple of the American Southeast, it is one of the more heat-tolerant of the pink flowering trees. The bark adds gorgeous winter interest.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 6 to 9
    • Color Varieties: Pink, white, bicolor, red, coral
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Average, medium moisture, well-draining
    • Featured Video
Article Sources
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  1. Difference Between Horse Chestnuts and Sweet Chestnuts. Michigan State University Extension Office.