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5 PURPLE-BLOOMING TREES TO PLANT THIS AUTUMN

By Admin • Sep 11, 2018

Purple Blooming Trees — St. Louis, MO — County Tree Service

Fall isn't here quite yet, but the seasons will be changing before you know it. If you have been considering adding trees to your landscape, fall is a great time to do so. Perhaps you want to add a splash of color to your yard with a tree that develops purple blossoms in the spring. The following are five purple-blooming trees to consider planting once the weather cools off.

1. Purple Robe

The purple robe is a variety of black locust tree that develops showy, fragrant, purple flowers each spring. It's a medium-sized tree, reaching about 40 feet in height at maturity.

Purple robe trees are great for planting in front yards since they tolerate traffic pollution well, and they will survive periods of drought, too. Their branches do have thorns, so they are not the best choice for areas where children may play.

Purple robe trees, although gorgeous, do require a fair amount of maintenance. They tend to send up root suckers, which you must prune away to keep the area tidy. They are also prone to diseases like canker, leaf spot, and wood rot, particularly if the tree is not pruned properly prior to a wet season.

2. Twilight Crape Myrtle

There are many types of crape myrtles, but none has such dark, purple flowers as the twilight crape myrtle. The flowers appear in June and stay on the tree until fall. Twilight crape myrtles are about 20 feet tall, so they fit well into large garden beds and along fences. They can tolerate periods of low rainfall and thrive in full sunlight.

Twilight crape myrtles are very low-maintenance trees. They are not bothered by deer or rabbits, and they just need a quick pruning every winter.

3. Eastern Redbud

The eastern redbud has pale, pinkish-purple flowers that appear in mid-spring. The tree’s leaves are a reddish color early in the season, but they turn green as spring turns to summer.

With a broad, branching crown, eastern redbud trees make excellent small shade trees. Plant one over your grilling or picnic area or next to your patio for some shade and ambiance. At maturity, the tree should be about 20 feet tall.

Eastern redbud trees grow in full sunlight or partial shade. They are known to attract songbirds and require minimal pruning to maintain their graceful shape.

4. Purple Lily Magnolia

This unique magnolia variety features flowers that look like lilies. They are a soft, medium purple in color with streaks of darker purple and red. Purple lily magnolias only reach about 10 feet in height, so they're a great ornamental tree for a garden bed. Deer won't bother these trees.

Purple lily magnolias do require full sunlight, but once mature, they only need to be watered occasionally. Pruning once a year in the winter helps keep the branches full and the blooms vibrant.

5. Purple Orchid

The purple orchid is a medium-sized, upright tree that becomes completely covered in orchid-like flowers. It blooms twice a year — in the fall and again in the spring. The flowers have a sweet, fragrant scent that will fill a room. Purple orchid trees grow quickly, and once established, they need very little care and watering. The do require full sunlight to thrive.

One downfall of this tree is its production of long, brown seed pods every summer. These pods can be messy to clean up when they fall to the ground.

Which one of these purple-blooming trees sounds most appealing? Contact County Tree Service to make plans to have trees added to your yard this fall. We offer tree planting services along with trimming, removal, and a whole lot more.

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