Trees with blue flowers are not as common as those with pink and white flowers. However, they add an interesting touch to any landscape. You are in for a treat if you want something different for your landscape.
This article will give you a better insight at some of the most beautiful blue flowering trees you can add to your garden.
Contents
A List of the Best Trees with Blue Flowers
1. Blue Chinese Wisteria
Blue Chinese Wisteria is an oriental tree that is beautiful and easy to train. It is a deciduous perennial vine that has a twinning habit. It is a lovely bloomer, native to China, and was introduced to the United States in the 1800s as an ornamental tree.
– Features
Chinese Wisteria has drooping blooms and wonderful arching branches. This climbing tree thickens and hardens the stems when you keep them small so that it rests on them like a trunk. To make sure that your blue Chinese grows into a tree, allow two or three stems to twine to each other until they harden into the wood.
– Growth Requirements
Blue wisteria grows in USDA hardiness zones five through nine, up to 10 to 30 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide. This tree requires medium, fertile, and a well-drained soil, and note that it may also grow on various soils, including loam, clay, chalk, or sand, with a soil pH of mildly alkaline to mildly acidic.
This tree requires receiving full sun or partial shade to grow. However, if you grow it under the shade, you will need the morning sun to thrive.
– Blooming season
The Chinese wisteria blooms are mind-blowing with an intoxicating fragrance. They would start to blossom from late spring to early summer.
Once the bloom is spent, you can still enjoy the light green pinnate leaves that form a finely textured canopy that lasts until the end of the fall. The flowers attract butterflies and other pollinators.
– Toxicity Cautiousness
The wisteria is known to be toxic to humans and pets and should be planted away from kids’ activities. It is also very invasive, taking over any other plant nearby, because it would easily intoxicate other too, due to the abundance of the chemical agent that it has.
2. Blue Hong Kong Orchid Tree
This rare beauty should be on top of your list if you want a show-stopping exotic tree in your landscape, with tis gorgeous blue colored blooms it would let everyone gaze at it.
The Blue Orchid tree is called so because it has exotic and showy blooms. This tree was first discovered by French missionaries on the western Coast of Hong Kong and is the official tree of the Island, with these flowers.
– Features
Blue Hong Kong is not a true orchid tree though they are alike in the shape and rich colors of the flowers. It is a natural tree that does not need to be trained as it grows. In addition, this plant has broad green leaves with two large, exotic-looking lobes.
– Blooming Season
The Hong Kong orchid tree blooms from November to March when there are not as many trees flowering in the winter.
It is famous for its blooms that have an unusual pale lilac-blue color. As they mature, the lilac blue color fades, but their impressive beauty remains on the branches making this tree a real show stopper.
The petals are arching and look like butterfly wings, carrying a strong and pleasant aroma that would fill the air. The bloom goes on for months, turning into edible pods because they are relatives of peas.
– Growth Requirements
Blue Hong Kong grows in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 11. It is not a cold, hardy tree and will need protection during frost. It grows to about 12 to 20 feet tall and 20 to 25 feet wide.
This tree prefers well-drained loamy, clay, sand, or chalk-based soil with a mildly acidic pH to mildly alkaline. It tolerates dry soils and drought.
3. Blue Jacaranda
The blue jacaranda tree grows best in the tropical and subtropical areas of Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean. It is also commonly found growing in Florida, Texas, and California, and scientifically it is known as the Jacaranda Mimosifolia.
It is native to Brazil but grows in most areas due to its gorgeous bright blue and violet foliage. Pretoria in South Africa is named jacaranda city as it grows many in the streets.
– Features
This beautiful tree that has a spreading crown of flowers that look beautiful anywhere you grow it. It has woody stems and flowers that have lobes growing in the shape of a bell.
Its leaves are delicate, resembling ferns. This tree has a long flowering season, starting from spring to summer. The flowers have sweet nectar that attracts pollinators.
– Growth Requirements
This tree is hardy and grows in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 11. It grows tall, reaching about 30 to 40 feet tall, when the proper care like the soil and the sun requirements are provided.
The blue jacaranda trees need moderate sunlight to grow. It prefers full sun for about six hours and partial shade from the afternoon sun to thrive.
The blue jacaranda prefers rich, sandy, or loam soils that drain well. Any soil that retains water will be an enemy to this tree as it will cause root rot. The ideal pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0.
This tree needs moist conditions and frequent watering, especially in its first days before its established. This tree requires minimal care and is resistant to diseases. You will need to prune it after flowering to maintain its natural shape and give it a more robust growth.
– Uses
This tree has many uses, including the wood being highly prized as logwood; it’s used for charcoal, wood paneling, and making fine furniture. The flowers make a natural dye used in South American cultures for centuries.
The tree generally has many medicinal properties used to treat skin wounds or acne. The leaves and bark are used to treat varicose veins and neuralgia.
4. Blue Rose of Sharon
Like all the other varieties of the rose of Sharon tree, it is a shrub that you can train growing into a tree. It is also known as the Hibiscus Syriacus, showing off its beautiful blue blooms when the weather is warmer.
– Features
The blue rose of Sharon has large green lobed leaves that are dense and healthy. They embrace the floral display very well. To grow your shrub into a proper tree, choose one upright and healthy stem and prune all the others.
Tie it to a stake until it grows two inches thick and hard. Prune off all the lower branches for the first few years until you get a lovely round crown full of blooms like a proper shrub or tree.
– Blooming Season
Rose of Sharon will give you large, round, violet-blue flowers with dark purple veins in the center from mid-summer to late fall. Each blossom is about four inches across, with the white stamens projecting from the middle of the bloom.
– Growth Requirements
This tree grows in USDA hardiness zones five through nine to a height of about six to nine feet tall and three to six feet wide. Blue satin needs medium fertile and evenly humid soils that are well-drained, loamy, clay, chalk, or sand-based soil with mildly alkaline to mildly acidic pH.
However, once established, it can tolerate heavy clay soil and drought. This tree will need full sun exposure for the better part of the day, while in very hot areas, it will need partial shade from the afternoon sun.
5. Chaste Tree
The chaste tree is an aromatic shrub belonging to the mint family and native to Eurasia. Its twigs are used in basketry, and its fruit is used in flavoring. This tree gets its name from the belief that it is an aphrodisiac.
This tree is also known by other names, including monk’s pepper, vitex, or the vitex Angus-castus, chaste lilac tree, chaste berry, or wild lavender.
– Features
This tree is native to the Mediterranean and Western Asia and grows in parts of North America. The leaves of this plant resemble the marijuana plant, with five leaflets in a palm-shaped arrangement. The leaves have a fragrance that is similar to sage.
– Blooming Season
This deciduous shrub produces blooms of purple flowers in the summer. These flowers look like those of the butterfly bush and attract pollinators, which would enhance the pollination process of your plant and even through the ones that are amongst them as well.
On the other hand, the blooms are followed by dark purple berries that look like peppercorns used to flavor food.
– Growth Requirements
This tree excels in the USDA hardiness zones six through nine. It is fast growing and can reach up to about 20 feet tall when mature. This tree does well in well-drained soils that are acidic to slightly alkaline. It will thrive better in rich soils since they hold a good amount of moisture around the roots.
However, sandy or rocky soils are not a problem, because still it will thrive and tolerate it, as long as water does not sit on top of the soil, it is no problem to this plant. Caring for this tree is easy once established. You will need to tame it by pruning it as it grows aggressively.
6. Blue Butterfly Bush
The blue butterfly bush gives you a non-stop bloom of butterflies. It’s simple to grow, easy to establish, and a low-maintenance shrub. It is native to tropical eastern Africa, especially in Kenya and Uganda, however, it is even prone to grow in many parts of the world too.
– Features
The blue butterfly bush displays a multi-branching form with green glossy, oblong leaves and violet blue pea-like flowers that looks great growing in a garden or container. They do best in frost-free climates and tend to freeze when exposed to frost.
– Blooming Season
This is one of the most amazing flowering shrubs, loaded with beautiful blooms from spring to fall, producing large clusters of dainty. Blue flowers that resemble little butterflies.
It has two-toned blue and lavender flowers that are a showstopper, making your garden bloom with such beauty.
– Growth Requirements
The true blue butterfly shrub grows in USDA hardiness zones eight through eleven, growing to about 12 inches tall, but can be maintained as a shrub of about six inches tall.
This shrub requires rich, loamy soil to thrive. It needs average moisture and well-drained fertile soil but not overly rich soils. If your soil needs to be fertile enough, you can fertilize it in spring once new growth starts. The best pH range is mildly acidic to neutral.
Prune new growth in mid-spring to encourage branching if you so desire. You can cut it back any time of the year after blooming for more robust growth.
7. Empress Tree
The empress tree is the fastest-growing tree on earth. It is native to Eastern Asia and belongs to the Paulowniaceae family, hence it is called the Paulownia Tomentosa. It is named in honor of the Russian Princess Anna Paulowna. This tree is known by various names, including the princess tree, empress tree, royal empress tree, and royal paulownia.
– Features
The empress tree has large leaves that are velvety soft, looking like those of a catalpa tree. Its flowers appear in the second year, featuring blue, light purple, and pink blooms. They have a strong fragrance that smells like vanilla. The flowers are shortly followed by seed capsules that break open in the fall, revealing winged seeds.
– Blooming Season
This tree blooms throughout the spring, producing lilac-blue flowers, though most varieties are lilac pink. But in the months of April to May you will be seeing them opening up.
– Growth Requirements
The empress tree grows rapidly, adding 15 feet each year in USD hardiness zones five to eight, reaching a mature height of about 50 feet tall and 30 feet wide in 10 years. This tree tolerates many soils, including high acidity and low fertility. It prefers moist, deep, sandy, or loam soil well drained.
The empress tree can withstand light shade and full sun for about six hours in the morning sun. In very hot areas, it’s best to provide partial shade from the afternoon sun.
– Uses
Empress tree is grown for many uses, including timber and beauty, it is used in different types of medications as well, one of them would be in the medicine regarding bronchitis, because it has healing properties.
8. Texas Mountain Laurel
Texas mountain laurel is a slow-growing evergreen tree with clusters of purple-blue flowers packed together in a beautiful pattern. This beautiful tree is called Sophora Secundiflora in botany, and it has different shades of lavender and blue.
– Features
Texas mountain foliage is dense, tough, glossy, and leathery featuring an olive green color. Each leaf has many leaflets in a pinnate arrangement. This tree produces light pastel brown hard pods that decorate the tree even further. The blooms on the other hand, look beautiful when they open and show their little blue flowers.
– Blooming Season
The flowers bloom in the spring, producing purple-blue color. They resemble wisteria in shape and have a strong, sweet fragrance similar to bubblegum. They are packed with pollen and attract butterflies and pollinators.
– Growth Requirements
Texas mountain needs medium fertile, well-drained soil to thrive. Keep the soil dry in between watering schedules to avoid killing its roots. You can use loam, clay, or sandy soils with a pH range of alkaline to neutral. In addition, this tree is easy to care for once established.
You must prune the lower branches when the tree is still young to make it a strong tree and keep it in its best shape. This tree thrives in USDA hardiness zones seven to ten, growing to 15 to 25 feet tall and eight to ten feet wide.
– Toxicity
Pastel brown pods and seeds are toxic and narcotic and should be kept away from human and pet use, and remember to keep it away from children as well, because as much as the flowers look nice for them to touch or even eat, it may intoxicate them thoroughly.
9. Ironwood
Ironwood is a medium-sized tree native to Southeast Asia, India, and Sri Lanka. It is also known as the blue mist, thanks to the fluffy clusters of deep blue flowers. The ironwood has leathery, glossy, broad, deep emerald leaves that remain evergreen all year, you may even find it under the name of Memocylon Umbellatum if you search for its scientific name.
– Blooming Season
Blooming starts from mid-spring to early summer when the sun is out. The flowers are breathtaking, opening straight on the younger branches, each with five petals and blue stamens that radiate beauty like the sun’s rays. When in bloom, they form a very fine texture.
– Growth Requirements
This tree thrives in fertile and humus-rich soil and tolerates poorer soils. Use loam soil to grow this tree, allowing it to be well-drained but evenly humid. The pH range should be neutral—not acidic or alkaline.
Note that this plant would thrives in USDA hardiness zones 11 and 12, and as a result, it would show its grow by reaching a height of 20 to 33 feet tall and 15 feet wide.
– Uses
This tree is mainly grown for beauty because of its flowers and small bluish round fruits, but it has medicinal value. You can also extract a yellow dye from its leaves.
10. Blue Rhododendrons
Blue rhododendron is a heaty bush, also known as azalea. It is a part of the Ericaceae family native to Asia, Europe, and North America. It can grow for up to 120 years and is about 50 feet tall. You can find it growing in bogs, heaths, and woodlands.
– Features
This tree has broad leaves and beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers. The blue rhododendron has many species that vary in color from white, pink, purple, and blue. The blue plant would blooms in late spring or early summer, and that is when the flowers are showy and grow in beautiful clusters.
– Growth Requirements
Rhododendrons grow in USDA hardiness zones four through eight, growing to six to ten feet tall. They would prefer well-drained soils that are moist and warm at the same time so that they would adjust the roots very well. It can tolerate a wide range of soils, including clay.
In order to see it growing in a very fascinating way, you must remember to prune it to make a single stem creating a tree-like shape that will grow strong like a normal tree, and this will encourage the plant to grow more.
– Uses
The blue rhododendron has many medicinal purposes, including the leaves, stems, and flowers used to make teas. The teas reduce anxiety and help with digestive problems, and this is because when you boil it, these healing properties would show and would help you.
Conclusion
So there you have a whole list of trees with blue flowers! These blue flowering trees will surely add a beautiful touch to your landscape.
Before you choose the best ones for your garden, here are a few important points to remember
- Be sure to research before planting any of these trees, as some of them can be quite fussy growers.
- These trees will require a little love and attention, especially before they get established, to help them thrive.
- Our favorite trees include blue Chinese wisteria, blue satin rose of Sharon, blue rhododendrons, blue jacaranda, and blue Hong Kong orchid tree. All of them produce pure blue flowers that will brighten your landscape.
- These trees are generous bloomers ranging from a few feet tall to real giants. You can choose the best size you want to grow.
Trees with blue flowers are rare, but you cannot take your eyes off them once you spot them. Their bloom is one of the most spectacular flowers you will ever see.
Though some may have a purple or lavender color, they still give you quite a diverse blue show. Let’s hear what your favorite blue-colored plants are.
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