Native Flowering Trees in the Natural Areas

Tracy Beerley, The McCausland Natural Lands Horticulturist

Vibrant spring colors in the Natural Areas of the Arboretum.

Cercis canadensis, Eastern redbud, is a beautiful native tree that provides many benefits to wildlife and insects. It is recognized by pollination ecologist and by bee keepers, as attracting large numbers of native bees and an important nectar source.  Pink flowers in the spring make this small tree or multi-stemmed shrub a great addition to the landscape.

Cornus florida 'Cherokee Princess,' flowering dogwood. This small tree is an important understory species in many eastern deciduous forests, its habitat also includes thickets, streams, wood edges and dry uplands. There are many varieties of the native dogwood which select for different characteristics such as resistance to powdery mildew and anthracnose.