Trees/shrubs with Spring and Summer interest

[ScottF]

How about Amelanchier canadensis? Snowy mespilus. Lovely small tree. Or whitebeam for the pale new leaves? Or Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonica) for it's suffused dark pink new leaves? Like Gaynor said, the magnolias are looking mighty fine right now, try Magnolia 'Susan' for flushed pink flowers.

 

Ooh, I love spring.

[janey]

Currently doing an assignment at college in which I have to write about 25 trees or shrubs that have Spring or Summer interest. The interest can be the flowers/fruit or anything else as long as it appears during these seasons. So far I've included a few cherries(flowers), horse chesnut (flowers), Blackthorn (flowers) but am starting to run thin on ideas. Anything Prunus would be the obvious choice however I want to vary my selection if possible. Any suggestions would be greatly received.

 

Many thanks.

 

Hmm, how about two fairly unusual contenders for the attractive bark catagory: Stuartia pseudocamelia and Pinus bungeana?

 

Davidia involucrata is a fave for summer flowers, though it's more late summer.

 

Little shrubby thing with good early spring flowers is Corylopsis (various cv's) which also smells great and has good autumn colour as a bonus.

 

And there's always the back section of Hillier's (my fave!)

 

Good luck with the assignment.

[Bald Monkey]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, they are really helping. I've also been down to the local arboretum at the weekend so I've now got a good number to be getting on with.

[Xerxses]

Lilacs!!! And any philadelphus for scent!

[Grimpeur]

tree of heaven looks mad when leaves first out & it seems to be the last one to burst

[Mick Stockbridge]

Anything Fagus, I love those early downy leaves. Purpurea in particular, I could lay on a bed of those leaves.

[janey]

tree of heaven looks mad when leaves first out & it seems to be the last one to burst

 

Only time an Ailanthus looks good is when it's turned into a huge pile of chip!!!

 

Copper beeches, on t'other hand, look fantastic when they first come into leaf, especially if they have a green backdrop. Good choice.