You have countless decisions to make when building a new home in the D.C. Metro. But one thing new homeowners often don’t realize is that purchasing a new home typically comes with minimal landscaping.
Since many plants and trees take a few years to grow and provide the shade and privacy you likely desire, it generally makes sense to make landscaping one of the most immediate investments in your new home. Here are six of our favorite flowering trees and shrubs to bring privacy, shade, and a pop of color to your yard in D.C., Virginia, and Maryland.
Flowering Trees
Dogwood
Small clusters of white flowers mark this flowering tree, which is native to our area. On the smaller size of landscaping trees, dogwoods grow to just 10-25 feet, making them a great choice for yards of any size. They flower in spring and do well in partial shade.
Cherry blossom
Cherry blossoms are well known throughout our area, and their light blush pink blossoms are unlike any other. While not native—they were originally introduced as a gift from Japan—they thrive in our area’s soil. There are several types of cherry blossom trees available, from large sprawling canopies to small, ornamental versions, and even a weeping blossom varietal.
Eastern redbud
Known for their namesake flowers, the eastern redbud is one of the first signs of springs with its bright, reddish-pink (or purplish-pink, depending on what you call the color) blooms. It grows 20-30 feet in height, and can sprawl up to 35 feet wide, making it a great choice for backyards. It’s also native to our area, which helps it thrive.
Crepe myrtle
Crepe myrtles come in a variety of colors, including white, red, purple, and coral. These hearty trees are nearly failproof, growing easily in a variety of settings. They require a bit more pruning than others, with many owners opting to trim them low each year, as some varieties can grow quite large. While many flowering trees show their blooms in spring, crepe myrtle blooms in summer.
Flowering shrubs
“Mount Airy” fothergilla
This pretty shrub features sweet-smelling, brush-like, feathery, white flowers before leaves appear each year. Their color makes them versatile in any landscape color scheme, and while they are slow growing, they will reach five-to-six feet in height over time, making them a great choice to pair with smaller, brightly colored shrubs.
Trumpet creeper
This plant brings a bright color pop in pink, orange, and yellow later in spring to early summer. It attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, and is easy to grow, doing well in partial shade to full sun. It is a vine and will quickly sprawl, given the opportunity. Plant it near a trellis or pergola to guide its growth and keep it intentionally tamed so it won’t take over nearby foliage.
