Trees With Red Flowers To Brighten Up Your Garden Space

Colourful flowering trees can be an exceptional or excellent addition to visible features (landscape) in our gardens. Size (small, dwarf or large; shortness or tallness) of the tree can say a lot whether it is a suitable choice to make your garden stand out.

While some tree families are all-season bloomers, a few bear their flowers for a limited duration or within a specific transitional season. Growing conditions, hardy zones, and soil type might limit which trees to select.

List of Red-flowering Trees for your Garden

The below trees bearing a range of red-colored flowers can perfectly brighten and lighten up your current garden landscape.

1) Red Oleander Tree

Known to grow quickly, the red oleander tree is a popular flowering shrub or tree. Many species of the Nerium oleander family grow upwardly reaching a height of 8 feet tall. Under a mild climate, its tree form grows up to a height of 15 feet when matures. And its foliage can spread to cover a space of 10 feet wide.

It has a leathery feel and evergreen leaves. The red oleander tree bears deep red, five-petal flowers throughout the summer.

Reddish-pink oleander species tree spectacular flowering — Outdoor pink-red flowering Oleander Tree

This tree loves a place that receives full sun. The plant thrives in well-drained, deep soil water.

Particularly, the red hardy oleander shrub tree is loved by many gardeners and homeowners in the coastal areas of the Mediterranean region. It resists the Mediterranean harsh, dry drought.

A red hardy oleander shrub with flowers — The red hardy oleander shrub

Red oleander trees are very important and interesting to fulfilling your garden landscape plan. It is an evergreen and showy flowering shrub/tree. The tree can benefit from large planters. When you plant it on the ground, it is ideal for hedging, showy pathway or screening the windy sides of the courtyard.

If you need it to flower and remain evergreen throughout summer, water lightly but regularly.

Prune lightly when foliage shows signs of response to dry weather
Treat signs of mealybugs and red spider mite attack

IMPORTANT: All parts including the leaves, stems and roots of oleander trees are dangerous for human body use.

**2) Crabapple Tree (Malus coronaria)**

As a garden tree, crab apples are considerably tall, growing from 13 feet (3.96 m) to 39 feet (11.89 m) when mature. The common crêpe myrtle trees grow to heights ranging between 15 – 25 inches (0.64 m). They are generally considered fast-growing trees or shrubs.

The crabapple tree species Malus coronaria has simple leaves with serrated margins. This species produces red, white or pink flowers. Malus coronaria species bear red flowers, each comprising five petals. These flowers are borne in the spring of each year.

Pink crab apple flowers — Red-pink crab apple flowering tree

Crab apple trees are attractive, especially for garden birds. Many species cannot self-pollinate. They mainly depend on bees for cross-pollination. For this reason, they are special all-season trees.

The fleshy part of the fruits is edible. However, the core and the seeds are dangerous for human use.

3) Crêpe Myrtle Tree

Crepe myrtle plants are either classified as shrubs or small trees. All trees and shrubs of crepe myrtles are vase-shaped growth nature. They thrive growing in areas with full sun and moderate soil moisture. When still young, the trees require moisture in plenty.

They have dark green leaves that turn orange, yellow or reddish in winter’s unfavorable weather. The main stem has an attractive, smooth and brown outer surface. Its inner trunk has pink barks.

Most crepe myrtles trees grown in gardens are either L. indica or L. fauriei. Indica crepe myrtle tree bears flowers in summer. These flowers look crinkled (with wrinkles and tiny fold lines) in summer. They are borne in clusters of red or pink or purple shades.

L. fauriei bears white flowers in early summer. L. fauriei originates from Japan while the common crepe myrtle is native to China and Korea.

Where is the best spot to plant a crepe myrtle tree? For homeowners, in your garden, focus on areas that receive bright sunlight. More so, open spaces where many plants have failed due to dry soils. Remember to water them well if you are planting young trees in open spots – since they require high moisture. Outside the gardens, these trees can be an ideal classic identity for brightening dull street gardens or walking lanes.

**4) The Red Dogwood (Cornus Florida)**

The red dogwood tree is an all-season plant that grows to a height of 25 feet. It also has a spreading growth habit that can occupy 25 inches wide at its growth peak. It has a medium growth rate, growing at a moderately slow speed of 18 inches per year.

The tree bears a compact red flower group and bracts. Its leaves are dark green and long. They have an oval shape and turn purplish in the fall.

The Red Dogwood (Cornus Florida) is an ideal garden tree for those who have small yards. Since it has a rounded growing shape, it can fit in any landscape around a building or focal points within the garden. Sites for growing it include the patio, pallet seating corner and large backgrounds.

**5) Red Silk Cotton Tree (Bombax ceiba)**

Bomabx ceiba is a large deciduous, woody tree. Its place of origin is believed to be the tropical climate regions in the Asian world, including up North of Australia.

The red silk cotton tree produces cup-shaped, large (burgundy) red or orange flowers from late winter -early spring. The flowers produce nectar in plenty so it is a good fauna (if you love birds’ visit) welcome statement for your garden. Unfortunately, these flowers fall off every other day.

New leaves come after the tree is done with flowering. The tree loves growing in direct full sun.

Bombax ceiba — A flowered Red Silk Cotton Tree

It is an important tree for garden lawns with large cultivation space. For designing reasons, some homeowners prefer growing it for recreational purposes. It has a good to better shade provision. The flowers make good and attractive children playgrounds.

It has low maintenance requirements.

**6) Red Flowering Gum Tree (Corymbia ficifolia)**

This species of flowering gum tree is a small tree. Found regularly growing in Western Australia, red flowering gum is a significant visible garden feature tree. They are often grown from seeds but can also be grafted.

How tall do red flowering gum trees grow? Most flowering gum trees are fast growers. These trees are relatively tall as they can reach a height of 15 m/49 feet. Growing them outside the regions of Western Australia can be challenging. As a consequence, some species reaching 2 m tall.

Red Flowering Gum Tree cup shaped deep red flowers — *Corymbia ficifolia* red flowers

Flowering gum trees bear flowers from December to January, in the second year. The flowers may vary in color: from pink (very rare), white, orange to red. The species Corymbia ficifolia, is naturally restricted to growing in the far south-west of Western Australia.

**7) Red Silky Oak Tree (Alloxylon flammeum)**

It is commonly known as Tree Waratah, the Queensland Tree Waratah or red silky oak tree. A medium-size tree, Alloxylon flammeum belongs to Proteaceae family of plants.

This tree plant is tall and grows up to 24 meters in the Queensland rainforests. It has a glossy, feather-like leaf arrangement with leaflets arranged along the middle vein. Alloxylon flammeum bears brightly colored red flowers. They are borne in clusters during winter and spring.

Red Flowering Gum Tree — Queensland waratah blooms

The red silky oak tree is widely found on the ridges and forest of the coastal parts of Queensland in Australia. It has been transferred to other parts of the world. Presently, it is grown in the islands Hawaii in the US and Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.

So long as it is not cultivated in waterlogged soils, this red flowering tree can overcome drought. However, it will flower less during an extended drought period.

A red silky oak tree from the North Queensland rainforest areas

The red flowers of the plant and the borne seeds are poisonous. The plant can cause skin rashes if the plant substance comes into contact with the skin.

Some red-flowered plants in the same family Proteaceae are shrubs. A pretty example is the evergreen Telopea speciosissima or the New South Wales Waratah. This shrub is widely regarded as one of Australia’s most beautiful and spectacular native floral emblem or identity.

**8) Red Buckeye Tree (Aesculus pavia)**

Native to coastal and Piedmont, NC, the red buckeye is a small, deciduous, and beautiful tree. It is relatively tall and can grow from 15 – 25 feet. The red buckeyes are also commonly known as Firecracker or Scarlet Buckeye.

Red buckeye trees love being treated with partial sunlight. It can thrive in varying soil types but does exceptionally well in moist, well-drained soil. Though less of ornamental value, it is one of the important flowering trees for your dull garden. Aesculus pavia is the kind of buckeye species that bears deep red flowers in spring. Being a spring bloomer, this tree produces a beautiful cluster of red flowers.

Red buckeye tree in blooms — *Aesculus pavia*

Plant your red buckeye in the winter or early spring. For continuity of beauty display, make sure that you supply it with water during dry times. Being a low-branched and slow-growing tree, it is a good choice for a small garden space. I would prefer growing it in the wildlife garden section, along with garden ponds, or a backyard birds’ flower area.

IMPORTANT: The seed enclosures are poisonous to humans.

References and Sources