You may visit the state of Tennessee for popular cities like Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, and Knoxville. You may even take a trip to this long and thin southern state to see and visit the famous Dollywood. But if you go without seeing some incredible natural wonders, your trip may fall short.
Tennessee is known for its national parks and gorgeous natural sites. It’s home to part of the Appalachian Trail, which runs from Maine to Georgia, as well as the Great Smoky Mountains, which share borders with Tennessee and North Carolina. Let’s look at some varieties of flowering trees in Tennessee.
Flowering Trees in Tennessee
With so much scenic beauty to take in, a list of flowering trees in Tennessee might be of some use to you. Check out some of these gorgeous trees that bloom stunning flowers.
Eastern Redbud
The Cercis canadensis is a small tree that grows across the eastern and central United States, including Tennessee. Commonly called the Eastern Redbud, this flowering tree loves lots of sunlight, open woodlands, and access to streams.
This gorgeous tree stays at a humble height of around 20 to 30 feet. Its branches spread far and wide, producing small, pretty pink flowers all throughout. The flowers even bloom on the trunk along with the branches.
The flowers are accented nicely with heart-shaped leaves that turn yellow in the fall.
Sourwood
If you love flowers in the spring and bright, bold colors in the fall, the Sourwood tree is a great Tennessee resident to check out.
The Sourwood tree is named for the flavor of its leaves, which have a very bitter, sour taste. However, you may recognize this tree better by a more common name: Lily of the Valley.
This tree earned its nickname because of the appearance of its flowers, which look similar to the Lily flowers of the valley.
The white bell-shaped flowers are graceful and pleasant, but what stands out the most about this flowering tree is its fall hues. The sour leaves change to purple, yellow, orange, and bright scarlet when autumn comes around.
Mountain Stewartia
Named for its proximity to the mountains, the Mountain stewartia tree grows across North Carolina and Tennessee at the edges of forests and close to streams. This moisture-loving tree is small, growing no taller than 10 to 15 feet.
The dense branches give these small trees a plump look. The stems zigzag across one another, boasting simple oval leaves in dark green. Its flowers bloom in the summer and feature white, round petals with crimped edges. The look is completed with a bright orange center.
Carolina Silverbell
Flowering trees in Tennessee are known to share a species or two with the state’s neighbor, North Carolina. So, despite the name of the Carolina Silverbell, it’s commonly found in Tennessee and North Carolina.
The Carolina Silverbell (Halesia carolina) is appropriately named for its dainty bell-shaped blooms. When in full bloom, these trees are decorated with little bell flowers in shades of white or pale pink. Their heads hang downward, displaying an orange center that resembles a clacker.
This tree can grow up to 80 feet tall and live up to 100 years. It prefers moist locations, as it does not tolerate drought well.
Southern Magnolia
While there are several varieties of Magnolia trees that grow in Tennessee, one of the most prevalent ones is the Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora). You can keep these trees small at 15 feet to suit a yard, but they can reach over 80 feet in a forest. If you’re looking for a small tree with white flowers other species are more compact.
Southern Magnolias bloom in the early spring. Their flowers bud and open into large, creamy-white flowers with cup-shaped pedals.
These trees have evergreen leaves that hang around all year. They are large, dark green, shiny, and thick. Although the tree is evergreen, it still drops its leaves and massive pine cones throughout the year.
Final Thoughts
The Great Smoky Mountains and its national park in Tennessee wouldn’t be quite the sites they are today if it weren’t for the incredible flowering trees found within. These flowering trees in Tennessee add extra color and beauty every spring when they display their colorful blooms to the world.
If you ever get the chance to visit, be on the lookout for some of these unique and beautiful trees.