Flowers for spring
Cercis siliquastrum
You can’t beat the Judas tree for an eye-popping blast of purplemagenta to shake the winter blues away. Preceding the heart-shaped leaves, the flowers are borne on older wood, including the trunk, so it veritably bristles with pink! It likes sun and good drainage and dislikes being moved. Eventually reaches 8-12m (26-40ft).
Cornus nuttallii
A lovely addition to the spring garden, this upright, deciduous tree produces dense flower heads of small, purple and green flowers, each of which is surrounded by creamy or pink bracts. Prefers a south or west-facing site and acid or neutral, moist but well-drained soil. It doesn’t mind a little shade and eventually attains about 10m (33ft).
Medlar
A delightfully structural, small tree, Mespilus germanica has been cultivated since Roman times for its figgy fruits. The yellow-centred, white flowers resemble apple blossom, and stud the long, leathery leaves like stars. Growing up to 5m (16½ft) tall, medlars like a warmish location on neutral-to-acidic soil.
Apricot
Apricots produce enchanting pink flowers in mid-to-late spring. Newer varieties have been bred to crop well in cooler climates and there are even dwarf forms, ideal for a patio pot. No garden is too small for fruit and blossom! Grow against a wall for protection if necessary. Ultimate heights vary, but it’s never a very big tree – for example a ‘Flavorcot’ on a montclair rootstock will reach about 2.5m (8ft 2in). Prune in summer to encourage replacement shoots and feed well.