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Purple flowering tree, in Kentucky are ones that come from different or several species that you can obtain and grow with relative ease.
Provided you can supply good enough soil and growing conditions, these will make for a joyous view!
Whether you’re looking for a miniature, a colorful giant, or a bushy type of tree, these will raise your curb appeal, so continue reading.
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List of Purple Flowering Trees in Kentucky
In Kentucky, summers are often hot and very humid, with mildly cool winters, occasionally having episodes of cold Arctic air.
Average summer temperatures are in the zone of 84 degrees Fahrenheit to 94 degrees Fahrenheit, and winter lows of 38 to 44 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s why you’ll be looking to grow flowering trees that enjoy mild climates in zones six to nine.
1. Eastern Redbud
Admired for its beautiful purple flowers, this North American deciduous tree grows a beautiful rounded crown with horizontal branches. A whole bunch of rose and pink flowers will emerge in clusters in the early spring, showing a pretty dramatic display.
Eastern redbud has beautiful heart-shaped leaves that will appear bluish and green in summer. In the fall, the leaves naturally turn bright yellow before falling off.
– Attracting Pollinators
The flowers are attracting honey bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds who will be happily dancing around and increase the pollination and blooming that will happen in your garden as you have placed these. These cheerful flowers later turn to seedpods that last for the remainder of the growing season.
– Growing Conditions
This beautiful tree grows up to 30 feet tall and can reach a maximum of 30 feet in width. It will enjoy moist areas and partial shade in the afternoon. You’d like to grow it in slightly aerated soil.
Otherwise, it may develop root problems and even die. As you are planting them, you must note that the Eastern Redbud will be able to survive climate zones four to nine, making it an ideal plant to grow in Kentucky.
– Problems
Generally, this tree is pest free, but you should keep an eye out for canker, die-backs, mildew, and verticillium wilt. As a solution, you can spray with general insecticide and fungicide once the flowers are set.
2. Tulip Poplar
This tall north-American giant is a magnificent deciduous tree, growing a pyramidal-shaped canopy when young. This shape slowly transitions to being oval with age.
– Growing Seasons
In late spring the tree develops beautiful tulip-like flowers. The flowers are often yellow, green, and orange with soft hues of purple at the base.
The flowers are magnificent to look at from close, although they will grow only at the top once the tree is fully mature. In late summer, the flowers turn into yellow cone-shaped fruit that will stay on the tree up until mid-winter.
– Features
This amazing flowering tree sports gorgeous bright green leaves, which will turn yellow in the autumn. This is an ideal tree for large landscaping and is a favorite nesting spot for birds. The tulip poplar is a state tree of Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee.
– Growing Conditions
This one loves full sun and is easily grown in fertilized, moist, well-drained soil. The soil should be slightly acidic for it to grow vigorously. It will rarely do well in too-damp or too-dry conditions. Tulip Poplar will grow to 70 feet tall, reaching a width of 40 feet at max.
These purple Poplars can be propagated either by seeds or grafting. Being a tree that thrives in climate zones four to nine, it’s a perfect Kentucky specimen.
3. Northern Catalpa
Awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society, this large deciduous tree grows a huge oval crown with outward spreading branches populated by beautiful heart-shaped leaves.
– Growing Seasons
The foliage is glossy on the top, and hairy below. In late spring, Northern Catalpa produces a bunch of beautiful trumpet-like purple-white flowers blooming dashingly above the leaves. The blooms are replaced by thin, green seedpods, which persist all through the winter.
– Features
Its bark is reddish and ridged on mature trunks. Although it is relatively short-lived, the northern Catalpa will be a stunning tree to show off on your plot. Being deciduous, the leaves will turn yellow before falling off in late autumn.
– Growing Conditions
Thriving in moist, well-drained soil, catalpas will appreciate a semi-shade in summer. This tree in general won’t mind the soil conditions, as long as you give roots some air to breathe, they will do just fine.
In addition, you should shelter it from strong winds, though, they can cause damage to foliage. On another note, when the branches become too dense, you can slightly prune them in the early summer.
It will endure only a mild climate zone range of four to eight, making it a great candidate to be grown in the Kentucky area.
– Problems
These trees are generally pest free, although verticillium wilt can occur, and this would be due to the soil being over-watered and developed fungi that are developing in the moist medium. You could spot the early signs such as curling of the leaves and even wilts.
4. Magnolia Tree
Magnolias are a beautiful variety of blooming trees with several species. If you’re into adding some pink or purple then we recommend the ‘Ann’ variety.
– Features
It is a small shrub-like tree with fragrant purple flowers that bloom up to early summer. The blossoms are cup-shaped with six or eight upright pearls, fading to subtle pink on the inside.
– Growing Season
If you place it in a moist area the blooms can continue to grow well into mid-summer. Magnolias foliage is oval-shaped and lusciously green, turning yellow in autumn. A truly elegant tree for your curb, flower bed, or cottage garden.
This is a hybrid tree, meaning that the flowers emerge somewhat later than your usual magnolia, making them protected from early spring frosts.
– Growing Conditions
Magnolia tree enjoys full sun and grows best in acidic, moist, and well-drained soil. They’re adaptable to all kinds of growing conditions, but will grow poorly in water-clogged soil. Being accustomed to climate zones three to eight, the Magnolia tree is a perfect Kentucky tree.
You should look to put them in an area that’s somewhat protected from cold, and strong winds, even though these trees are best when planted in early or late winter, which will give them time to establish, but again, when the winds aren’t very strong, however you can propagate them by cuttings in early summer.
– Problems
Magnolias are often susceptible to coral spots, scale insects, and fungi, and as you start noticing the first signs, you must tackle the issue so that the case would not become critical.
5. Crabapple Trees
Crabapple trees are outstanding trees from the family Malus, growing in an upright fashion. These broad trees produce flowers that will last long into the growing season.
– Features
A mass of fragrant, rose-like purple blossoms appears in the middle of spring, as soon as the foliage emerges, as their beautiful colors would provide a dramatic display.
– Characteristics
After the flowers fall off, beautiful small fruits appear. The fruits are looking like cherries at first, but they mature in the fall.
These fruits will attract many birds and butterflies. Its large pointy leaves, emerge first reddish in spring, turning to dark green and then purple when mature. They’re ideal to be planted in city areas, as they are highly resistant to pollution.
– Growing Conditions
The crabapple loves full sun and grows readily in fertile and well-drained soils. Once this tree is established, it becomes drought-tolerant. Note that the perfect specimen for your bonsai pots as well, crabapple will respond well to being dwarfed. In addition, these purple trees are perfect to be grown in a mild Kentucky climate zone.
– Problems
Crabapple trees are toxic to animals, but can be eaten by people when heat is processed. This tree has no known pests bothering them, although you may experience leaf burns and disease.
6. Dogwood Tree
A flowering dogwood tree is a large shrubby deciduous tree growing a rounded canopy with elegant horizontal lush branches. Star-shaped blossoms emerge in early spring before the first leaves show up, making it an attractive-looking presence.
The blossoms are round and pointy, purple at the top and slowly fading to white towards the center. After the flowers fall off, a rounded red fruit appears in the summer.
– Features
It grows oval and glossy leaves, providing much beauty to the beholder. In autumn, the foliage turns red and somewhat violet in the shades, making this tree even more beautiful. The bark is similar to alligator skin, becoming gray and brown as the tree matures. This is a perfect landscaping tree that will incorporate well with other taller ones.
– Growing Conditions
Dogwood trees grow 30 feet tall, and 30 feet wide. They perform very well in partial shade, fertile, acidic, and well-drained soils. Dogwood trees will tolerate the full sun, but are considered shade trees. You can protect the roots by mulching them in summer. Native to most of the US mainland, they will do perfectly well in the climate zones of four to eight.
– Problems
Dogwood trees are pest free but can experience the chestnut scale and several other fungal diseases, and you would see these signs very quickly through the wilting of the leaves.
7. Tulip Tree
Also known as a Chinese tulip tree, this is a vigorous-growing deciduous tree spreading upright and horizontally. Nevertheless, these are great shade trees for gardens and driveways due to their large leaves.
– Growing Season
The period of late spring rewards us with small tulip flowers on mature trees. They’re often green and yellow with hints of purple. Blossoms are somewhat smaller than those on the previously mentioned tulip poplar.
Since the flowers appear on the top of the canopy and after the leaves had formed, they often go unnoticed. The leaves turn golden yellow before falling off in autumn.
– Growing Conditions
Tulip tree grows up to 80 feet tall and 35 feet wide. Such a tree appreciates full sun, and easily grows in moist, acidic, and well-drained soil. On the other hand, they would thrive when they are in mild climates.
– Characteristics
These trees are fairly low maintenance once established, and they will be bothered by pests, neither insects nor diseases.
8. Japanese Lilac Tree
This award-winning beauty is a large shrubby tree growing an oval crown. In early summer, it grows huge clusters of fragrant, creamy, purple, and white flowers to decorate the tree.
These blossoms will give way to tiny capsules that will endure up until the late winter. Branches grow in a horizontal but upright fashion and are packed with tiny oval dark green leaves, highly attractive for a curb edge.
– Characteristics
These trees have beautiful red and brown bark that resembles a cherry tree. Very attractive to be used in landscaping, or a standalone motif tree.
A perfect house for singing birds and colorful butterflies, and as it would attract pollinators to your garden, as a result, the garden will keep on growing in a prosperous way.
– Growing Conditions
These trees grow up to 25 feet tall and 15 feet wide, quite slender compared to others on this list. They’re perfect for medium-moist, well-draining soils. Although it is a sun lover, it will tolerate light shade. Being a very enduring tree it will tolerate a wider range of climate zones, being ideal for climates in the range of three to seven.
– Problems
These trees virtually have no known predators and pests bothering them – they will even be resistant to blight, mildew, and scale insects.
9. Red Maple
Acer rubrum or red maple is appreciated for its red and purple autumn color. This beautiful tree would grow from 60 to 90 feet tall. In addition, it has the property to turn its sap into the famous maple syrup.
– Characteristics
The maple trees grow relatively fast and in a pyramidal shape when young. Once the tree is mature, it takes a more oval shape. In spring purple flowers emerge. The flowers grow even before the first foliage!
– Features
The leaves on maple trees appear red in spring then change to dark green, and finally, take that famous reddish hue in autumn.
This flowering tree is especially attractive in winter when the fallen leaves reveal an interesting silhouette. The red maple has a beautiful gray bark that ridges and furrows with age.
– Growing Conditions
They enjoy all kinds of weather and grow well in moist, organically rich, and well-drained soils. Maples are incredibly low-maintenance plants that require a very small amount of pruning just to direct the growth and to be healthier when growing.
As for the climate of its growth, the red maples are used to all kinds of growing climates and will enjoy the mild Kentucky weather.
– Problems
Red maples may be affected by aphids, scale, or wilt, all of which can be dealt with by some organic pesticides.
10. Serviceberry
This North American beauty is a perfect blooming accent tree for your curb. It grows as a large shrub but can be styled as a small tree with an oval canopy. Its smooth bark is gray, often streaked with fissures which provide a cool effect in the wintertime. It will be a perfect addition to a rocky landscape or an open lawn.
– Characteristics
It bears fragrant, beautiful white and pink flowers in spring before the leaves appear. They are highly attractive to pollinating insects and will produce a bunch of berries similar to those of a blueberry plant. The berries are tasty and are often used in pies, jams, and jellies. The leaves are thin and long with toothed edges and resemble apricot leaves.
– Growing Conditions
Being a shrub, this tree won’t often grow above 20 feet, even if the right growing requirements are provided. It appreciates full sun as well as partial shade and loves moist and acidic, well-drained soils.
Although, it will tolerate a wide variety of soils, so you’re free to experiment. This is a Kentucky-grown plant, but if you live anywhere in North America, you can safely breed these beauties.
– Problems
Serviceberries are usually disease and pest-free, although blight may appear, and as these bacteria grow, they will affect the new growing shoots or even the leaves.
Conclusion
Here is what we covered about the beautiful purple flowering Kentucky trees that you can grow:
- Purple flowering trees are all the rage in the entire world, and there are quite a few you can grow in the Kentucky area too.
- Whether you’d like a shrubby flowery wonder like a crabapple or serviceberry, or a tall giant like red maple or tulip poplar, we’re sure you’ll find your perfect tree in this one.
- You should be aware that different pests can attack these trees and the signs would be obvious, for instance the dogwood tree would show you wilted leaves.
Overall, now you know all about these beautiful trees and their requirements, and reasons why they would be perfect for a Kentucky climate area. Which did you like the most?
