Trees provide many benefits in the landscape, including providing critical wildlife habitat, shade, and adding property value. Florida has a wide variety of many incredible native trees, however many don’t have showy blooms or grow too large for most average-sized yards. If you are looking for small, flowering trees for your Florida yard, take a look at these show-stoppers:

Scentless Mockorange (Philadelphus inodurus) – I want to highlight this gorgeous small tree / large shrub first because it’s so underutilized but very much deserving of more attention. The first time I saw one, it was growing in Salt Springs, Marion County and it was loaded with large, white blooms (pictured below). Despite the common name, the lovely flowers with yellow centers do have a delicate sweet scent. It can grow as a single-trunk small tree or multi-stemmed shrub, growing around 6-8 feet tall and about as equally wide. Even the peeling bark on this plant is attractive. Plant it in full or partial sun. The only downside is it can be difficult to find so you may need to visit a nursery that specializes in native plants. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia) – If you have a shady area of your yard, the Red Buckeye tree could be a perfect addition. The stunning red blooms in spring are highly attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies, followed by large fruit that feed other wildlife. Although it can grow to be 30-35′ tall, in most landscapes it typically stays around 20′ tall and wide. You can see a lovely example of a Red Buckeye in the demonstration gardens of the UF/IFAS Marion County Extension Service. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Native Plum (Prunus spp.) – There are a few Florida native plum trees, but the two most commonly used in the landscapes are the Chickasaw (P. angustifolia) and Flatwoods or Hog plum (P. umbellata). Most of the year, you may not pay them much attention, but in late winter, early spring, they can be show-stoppers covered in white. Plant your plum in full to partial sun and later in the year, you (or the wildlife) can enjoy the edible fruits. These lovely edible ornamental trees typically grow to be around 15-20′ tall and wide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

White Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus) – Another underutilized, small, flowering tree is the Fringe tree, including the native white fringe tree pictured below, or the non-native Chinese fringe tree (C. retusus). Similar to the plum, this lovely small tree will likely go mostly unnoticed until it is covered in white, sweet-smelling blooms in spring. Related to olive, female fringe trees will produce olive-like fruits that aren’t edible for us, but the wildlife will appreciate them. Fringe trees usually grow up to 20′ tall and about 15′ wide and do best in full to partial sun. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pineapple Guava (Acca sellowiana) – Few plants are as versatile as the pineapple guava. It’s evergreen, can be pruned as a large shrub or small tree, is salt tolerant, has a gorgeous edible bloom and produces edible fruit! This non-native, Florida-friendly tree needs full to partial sun and, if left unpruned, can grow to be 15′ tall and wide. The pink or white blooms appear in spring and can be described as looking like fireworks – fireworks with edible petals that taste and feel like marshmallow! Later in August – October, the pollinated blooms turn into small, oval-shaped fruit that have a light, refreshing, citrus-like taste. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chastetree (Vitex agnus-castus) and Sweet Almond (Aloysia virgata) – I’ll wrap up with two of my favorite non-native, Florida-friendly, small, flowering shrubs / small trees – the chastetree and the sweet almond (although the bottlebrush is also another excellent consideration readily planted in landscapes). The chastetree and sweet almond are some of the most attractive ornamental trees I’ve seen to pollinators. They can’t get enough of the blooms, and when you smell the sweet almond, you won’t be able to get enough of it either! Both the chastetree and the sweet almond can be grown as large, multi-stemmed shrubs or small trees in full sun. The UF/IFAS Marion County Extension Service demonstration gardens have some large, mature chastetrees grown with single trunks that are stunning in spring to fall when they are covered in lavender blooms, although there are some different cultivars of chastetree now available that bloom white, dark purple, and some are even dwarf. The average chastetree usually grows to be about 10-15′ tall and 15-20′ wide and it is deciduous. The sweet almond is evergreen in frost-free areas and can grow to be around 12-15′ tall and about as wide depending on how it’s pruned. One of the most beautiful sweet almond trees I’ve seen is grown right on the University of Florida campus pictured below. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As with any plant, always be sure to follow the principles of Florida-Friendly Landscaping, starting with Right Plant, Right Place – selecting plants that are native or Florida-friendly that best match your site’s conditions such as sunlight, soil, space, and water. Speaking of space, UF/IFAS recommends that trees be planted no closer than 15′ from building foundations. So although these trees are smaller, do be sure to still give them the proper space to grow and thrive, also being aware of underground cables or above ground power lines. For more recommendations and information, reach out to your local UF/IFAS Extension Service. Happy Planting!