17 Best Flowering Trees For Oklahoma Yards

Are you planning to beautify your garden with some spectacular flowering trees in Oklahoma? Well, you’re in luck! The Sooner State is home to many diverse and attractive blossoming trees that you can easily grow in your home. Read on to find out about 17 exquisite flowering trees in Oklahoma! 

Oklahoma is a land of low, gentle hills, old mountains, flat, fertile plains, high plains of flat grasslands, prairie plains, flowing rivers, and a dessert. Due to its versatile landscape, the Sooner State enjoys a humid, subtropical climate in its eastern part, with humid, hot summers and mild to cold winters. Meanwhile, the western part of the state experiences a semi-arid climate, which extreme temperatures. 

Given its adaptable climate condition, it’s no surprise that Oklahoma is home to some of the most robust, hardy, drought-tolerant trees as well as some delicate shrubs. The most popular trees in Oklahoma include Bald Cypress, Black Walnut, Oak, Eastern Red Cedar, American Elm, Chinese Pistache, Lacebark Elm, and more. 

You can also grow a wide array of flowering trees in your Oklahoma home, such as the beautiful Flowering Dogwood, the ever-gorgeous Soapberry, and the stunning Desert Willow. Whether you choose to grow these flowering trees as understory trees, part of a mixed shrub hedge, or as standalone accent pieces, they will put on a captivating show come the blossoming season. Your flowering trees will also regularly attract chirping birds, buzzing bees, and sashaying butterflies to your garden. 

Let’s take a look at 17 breathtaking flowering trees in Oklahoma! 

1. Redbud

• Cercis canadensis
• Flowering in: Summer
• Height: 20-30 ft

Redbuds are Mexican and US natives. They are gorgeous, multi-trunked trees with a rounded crown of horizontally-growing branches. This tree has deciduous, heart-shaped, dark green foliage that turns vivid canary yellow in fall. Redbuds produce striking clusters of small magenta buds that blossom into long-lasting, pinkish-rose blooms. This low-maintenance tree grows well in various soils and different degrees of sun exposure. 

2. Flowering Dogwood

• Cornus florida
• Flowering in: Spring
• Height: 25 ft

Native to northern Mexico and eastern North America, Flowering Dogwood is a popularly-grown, small-sized tree. It features a flat top, round to pyramidal crown of low branches adorned with deciduous, oval green leaves that turn reddish-purple in fall. This tree blooms compact, small, white blossoms that grow from pink bracts. Dogwoods tend to thrive in well-drained, organic soils and speckled shade. 

3. Roughleaf Dogwood

• Cornus drummondii
• Flowering in: April to June
• Height: 6-15 ft

Roughleaf Dogwood is a North American native. It’s a deciduous, multi-stemmed shrub that you can grow as a slender understory tree as well. It produces flat-topped, wide clusters of creamy-yellow, 4-petaled flowers that grow at the end of its reddish-brown branches. It features 4-inch long, ovate, petioled, shiny green leaves that turn purple and red in fall. This hardy tree loves to grow in sunny locations and moist, well-drained soils. 

4. Kentucky Coffeetree

• Gymnocladus dioicus
• Flowering in: Late Spring to Early Summer
• Height: 60-75 ft

The Kentucky Coffeetree is native to the central and northeastern US. Coffeetrees are tall and upright and feature wide-angled branches decorated with spike-like clusters of 1-inch big, greenish-white flowers. These trees have compound, bluish-green foliage that turns yellow in fall.  This low maintenance, drought-tolerant tree thrives in well-drained, deep, moist soils and sunny locations. 

5. Soapberry

• Sapindus drummondii
• Flowering in: Late Spring and Early Summer
• Height: 25-30 ft

Native to northern Mexico and the Southern United States, Soapberry or Western Soapberry is a small to medium-sized tree with an open-rounded habitat. It features compound, deciduous, glossy medium green leaves that turn deep yellow in fall. It produces large, open clusters of yellowish-white flowers that give way to yellow-orange toxic fruits. This tree likes to grow in sunny or partially shaded locations and well-drained, adequately moist soils. 

6. Prairifire Crabapple

• Malus sp. prairiefire
• Flowering in: Spring
• Height: 15-20 ft

Prairifire Crabapple is a Eurasian and North American native. It’s a small-sized tree with a dense, rounded habitat. It produces pinkish-red buds that bloom into slightly fragrant, deep pinkish-red flowers. The blossoms give way to clusters of small purplish-red crabapples. This tree has deciduous, ovate, dark green leaves that turn orange in fall. It thrives in sunny locations and well-drained, adequately moist, acidic loams. 

7. Desert Willow

• Chilopsis linearis
• Flowering in: Summer
• Height: 15-30 ft

Native to the southwestern United States and Mexico, Desert Willow is an attractive, small to medium-sized, rapidly-growing ornamental tree. It has a twisted trunk and thin twigs that are covered with deciduous light green leaves. It produces 5-petaled, dark pink or purple flowers with yellow and white streaks. This drought-tolerant tree grows well in sunny locations and well-drained soils.

8. Southern Magnolia

• Magnolia grandiflora
• Flowering in: Spring to early Summer
• Height: 37 ft

A US native, Southern Magnolia is a popularly-grown, medium-sized tree with a dense, evergreen, leathery, dark green foliage. Magnolias yield huge, stunning, fragrant, cup-shaped flowers that bloom at the edge of their robust stems. This tree tends to thrive in sunny or partially speckled locations and organically rich, well-drained, moderately watered soils. 

9. Tulip Tree

• Liriodendron
• Flowering in: Late Spring and Early Summer
• Height: 70-90 ft

Native to Eastern North America, Tulip Trees are tall and stately trees with a pyramidal to oval-rounded habitat. This tree produces yellowish-green, tulip-shaped flowers with an orange base. The blossoms give way to cone-shaped fruits. Tulip Trees feature deciduous, glossy, four-lobed, bright green foliage. This tree grows well in sunny locations and acidic, well-drained, moist, organically rich soils. 

10. Flowering Crabapple

• Malus sutyzam sugar tyme
• Flowering in: Mid Spring to Late Spring
• Height: 20-40 ft

Also known as Sugar Tyme, Flowering Crabapple is an Asian, European, and North American native. It’s an upright, oval tree with deciduous, slender, ovate, indented dark green foliage. It produces pale pink buds that blossom into fragrant white flowers. The blooms give way to small, glossy red crabapples. This drought-tolerant tree thrives in sunny locations and well-drained, acidic, adequately moist loams. 

11. Japanese Lilac

• Syringa reticulata ivory silk
• Flowering in: Early Summer
• Height: 15-25 ft

The Japanese Lilac is an award-winning, robust, low-maintenance, small to medium-sized tree with an oval or rounded crown. This multi-trunked tree produces a profusion of enormous, foot-long clusters of arresting, tiny, scented, creamy-white flowers that grow along with pretty dark green leaves. Japanese Lilac grows well in sunny locations and well-drained, adequately moist soils. 

12. Golden Rain Tree

• Koelreuteria paniculata
• Flowering in: Summer
• Height: 30-40 ft

Native to China and Korea, Golden Rain Tree is a gorgeous, drought-tolerant, medium-sized tree with a rounded habitat and open branches. It features deciduous, feathery, bright apple-green leaves that turn golden-yellow in fall. This tree produces elongated clusters of spectacular rich yellow flowers. Golden Rain Tree thrives in sunny locations and dry to adequately moist, well-drained soils. 

13. Common Hackberry

• Celtis occidentalis
• Flowering in: Spring
• Height: 50-75 Feet

Common Hackberry is a US native. It’s a large, robust tree with upright-arching branches and a rounded, spreading crown. It produces inconspicuous greenish-white blossoms that grow in small clusters of two to three flowers. It features ovate, glossy to dull green leaves that turn cherry-yellow in fall. This tree grows well in sunny locations and well-drained, organically rich, moist soils. 

14. Hawthorn 

• Crataegus spp.
• Flowering in: Spring
• Height: 20-30 ft

Also known as Quickthorn and Thornapple, Hawthorn is a delightful, medium-sized tree with an attractive pyramidal shape and branches covered in thorns. It produces clusters of white or pink flowers that give way to bright-colored berries. It features oblong or round, serrated, glossy green leaves that turn orange-red in fall. This tree thrives in sunny locations and a wide variety of well-drained soils. 

15. Serviceberry 

• Amelanchier arborea
• Flowering in: Spring
• Height: 10-25 ft

Native to the northeastern United States, Serviceberry Trees can grow as spreading shrubs or small-sized trees. This tree produces prolific floppy clusters of slightly scented, 5-petaled, white flowers that give way to tiny, round, edible, dark purple berries. It has deciduous, oval green foliage that turns bright hues of yellow, orange, and red in fall. This tree prefers to grow in sunny or speckled locations and moist, well-drained, acidic soils.

16. Japanese Pagoda Tree 

• Styphnolobium japonicum
• Flowering in: Late Summer to Fall
• Height: 40-60 ft

Native to Korea and China, the Japanese Pagoda Tree is also known as the Chinese Scholar Tree. It’s a medium to large tree with a broad, rounded habitat. It features deciduous, pinnate, oval, glossy, dark green leaves and small, aromatic, pea-like, creamy white flowers. Pagoda trees thrive in sunny locations and sweeping clusters of well-drained, rich, adequately moist sandy loams. 

17. Common Smoke Tree

• Cotinus coggygria
• Flowering in: Spring
• Height: 10-15 ft

Common Smoke Tree is native to southern Europe and central China. It’s an upright, multi-stemmed shrub with a loose-spreading crown. Smoke Trees produce small, indiscernible, yellowish flowers that grow on unique stalks featuring smoky, billowing pink to purplish-pink hair. It features obovate to ovate, bluish-green foliage that turns yellow, orange, and reddish-purple in fall. This tree grows best in well-drained, moist, somewhat infertile soils and sunny locations.