Don’t choose the wrong species when you are looking for that captivating tree and want to stand out from your neighbors. Knowing which specimen tree to plant in your Marietta, Georgia, yard will help you stand out from your neighbors and give you an enduring conversation topic with your friends and loved ones.

toddsmariettatreeservices.com gathered the following species, planting, and growing information about 5 incredible specimen trees for your Marietta, Georgia, yard.

What is a Specimen Tree?

A specimen tree is an unusual or impressive plant grown as a point of interest in a garden, yard, or landscape. Specimen trees provide beauty with their fragrant flowers, fall color foliage, or impressive size. Consider the following specimen tree species for your Marietta, Georgia yard:

1. Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)

This incredible maple displays bright green foliage in spring and summer, then turns a stunning golden yellow and red in the fall.

Size at Maturity – This species can reach 15 to 25 feet tall with a 15 to 20-foot spread.
Soil Requirements – Japanese maples thrive when planted in well-drained, acidic soil high in organic matter.
Sun Exposure – Dappled or Afternoon Shade
Water Needs – Water this species heavily twice weekly during typical weather and increase waterings to three or four times during droughts.
Hardiness Zone – 5 through 8

2. Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)

The flowering dogwood is a small, showy, deciduous tree species. Young trees tend to be upright to rounded, and as they mature, they typically grow up to 50 percent wider than tall. The tree’s crown is typically round to flat-topped. Dogwoods are most recognized for their cross-shaped white or pink bracts.

Size at Maturity – This species can reach up to 25+ feet tall with a 25-foot spread.
Soil Requirements – Dogwoods thrive in fertile, somewhat moisture-retentive, loamy soil high in organic matter.
Sun Exposure – This species can be planted in full sun or partial shade (partial shade is best)
Water Needs – Dogwood trees require about an inch of water weekly from rain or irrigation. If rainfall is insufficient, water your tree enough to soak several inches into the soil once weekly. For newly planted dogwoods, two gallons per week are adequate except in drier, sandier soils where 6 to 8 gallons weekly may be necessary.
Hardiness Zone – 5 through 9

3. Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)

Southern magnolia is a large, broadleaf, evergreen tree noted for its attractive glossy dark green leaves and massive, extremely fragrant flowers. Magnolias are believed to be among the earliest known flowering plants, with fossils dating back over 100 million years.

Size at Maturity – This species can reach 60 to 80 feet tall with a 40-foot spread.
Soil Requirements – This species thrives in moist, well-drained, acidic soils. Unlike other tree species, it is tolerant of high moisture levels and can be planted in areas prone to wet/dry fluctuations in soil moisture.
Sun Exposure – This species can be planted in full sun or partial shade.
Water Needs – For every 1-inch of trunk diameter, water a 1-foot radius from the tree’s base.
Hardiness Zone – 6 through 10

4. Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia)

Crape myrtles are deciduous, small to medium-sized trees with a variable, moderately dense habit, often multi-stemmed form. The species’ foliage is typically dark green changing to yellows, oranges, and reds in autumn. This species is considered a specimen due to its stunning flower clusters with wrinkled petals like crepe paper.

Size at Maturity – This species can reach 15 to 25 feet tall with a 6 to 15-foot spread.
Soil Requirements – Crape Myrtles can be grown all over the USA in any soil type and will thrive in acidic to slightly acidic soil ranging from 5.0 to 6.5 pH.
Sun Exposure – Crape myrtles need full sun (6 or more hours per day) to thrive.
Water Needs – This species needs at least one inch of water per week.
Hardiness Zone – 7 through 10

5. Crabapple (Malus)

The crabapple is a beautiful, small, deciduous spring-flowering tree that is prized for its flowers, fruit, and variations in growth habit and size. Some crabapple varieties bloom heavily only every other year.

Size at Maturity – This species can reach 10 to 25 feet tall with a 10 to 25-foot spread.
Soil Requirements – Crabapples thrive in rich loam-type soil (a combination of clay, silt, and sand). Good drainage is a must for tree health, and the soil should be moist, slightly acidic, and with a 5.0 to 6.5 pH.
Sun Exposure – This species needs at least six hours of sun a day to guarantee ample blossoming and fruiting.
Water Needs – Once established, crabapples are drought tolerant and should not need supplemental watering unless the season is considerably dry.
Hardiness Zone – 3 through 8

Specimen Trees

In this article, you discovered essential species information for 5 stunning specimen trees that you can plant in your Marietta, Georgia, yard.

Planting a stunning specimen tree makes your front yard stand out from your neighbors, gives you decades of conversation, and offers a visual delight as the tree matures.

Not knowing the specimen species best for your Marietta, Georgia yard can have you being a copycat of your neighbor, or plant the wrong tree and risk it dying.

Sources:
edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST023
plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cornus-florida/
extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C974
landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/lagerstroemia-indica
hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/crabapple/

Avoid growing an ugly garden with little diversity. Knowing which small flowering trees to plant in and around your garden will keep it looking vibrant and lush.

toddsmariettatreeservices.com gathered the following information about small flowering tree species hardy for your Marietta, GA garden (hardiness zone 7b).

1. Prairifire Flowering Crabapple (Malus ‘Prairifire’)

This tree’s showy, dark pink to red flowers draw most people to the prairifire flowering crabapple. And for a good reason. The stunning, long-lasting spring blossoms are incredible. But this variety also offers year-round beauty with its changing leaf color. Glossy maroon or purplish-red in spring, the leaves turn dark green with purplish-red veins in the summer and finally a stunning bronze in the fall.

This species has a Mature Height of 20 feet and is hardy to zones 3 to 8.

2. Redbud (Cercis canadensis)

Known for displaying pink or white flowers in spring, the redbud is an easy-to-grow small tree. This species of redbud has heart-shaped foliage that turns golden-yellow in the fall. ‘Forest Pansy’ is a popular variety with purple foliage fading to dark green in summer.

This species has a Mature Height of 10 feet and is hardy to zones 5 to 9.

3. Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia)

A Southern-garden requirement, crape myrtle blooms in big clusters of flowers that range in shades of pink, red, lavender, or white in the summer and fall months. Multiple varieties display red, yellow, or orange autumn foliage, as well as patches of green or silver on the underside of their peeling bark.

This tree species has a Mature Height from 5 to 25 feet and is hardy to zones 6 to 9.

4. Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicus)

Native to parts of Eastern North America, the fringe tree is a plant you can grow either as a large shrub or a small tree. It produces fragrant white flowers in late spring that turn into clusters of blue-purple fruit in fall.

This North American tree species has a Mature Height from 10 to 20 feet and is hardy to zones 3 to 9.

5. Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)

Few small trees are as beautiful as Japanese maple in their fall color display. There are multiple ways to use this small tree in your yard and garden, as its crimson red foliage will stand out wherever it is planted.

This stunning tree species has a Mature Height reaching up to 20 feet and is hardy to zones 5 to 8.

6. Sargent Crabapple (Malus sargentii)

This popular landscape tree tends to show off in the spring, with multiple clusters of fragrant white flowers blooming in May. This tree’s dense, broad crown and crisscrossing branches add to its desirability and make the tree wider than it is tall. This species is also a popular selection for bonsai trees.

This species has a Mature Height of 5 to 10 feet and is hardy to zones 4 to 8.

7. Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellate)

With attractive, fragrant flowers, dark green foliage, and gray bark, this magnolia species is a showstopper for any Marietta, Georgia garden. This magnolia species thrives in nearly every location in the United States. The star magnolia could be a landscape alternative for Marietta gardeners looking to add small spring-blooming trees to their spaces.

This Magnolia species has a Mature Height of 15 to 20 feet and is hardy to zones 4 to 9.

Bonus Tree – Purpleleaf Sand Cherry (Prunus x cisterna)

This small flowering tree is a hardy landscape and garden variety with reddish-purple leaves that keep their unique color throughout the summer months. Because of this, the purpleleaf sand cherry is an excellent contrast tree.

This species has a Mature Height of 7 to 10 feet and is hardy to zones 3 to 7.

Small Flowering Trees

In this article, you discovered multiple small flowering tree species, their descriptions, and their USDA hardiness zones.

Using small flowering trees to accent your garden or stand alone as a specimen tree will add vibrant color and personality to your Marietta, Georgia yard, increasing your home’s curb appeal.

Your refusal to diversify your yard and garden’s plant life can result in an ugly landscape leaving a bad impression of you on your guests and passersby.

Sources:
plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cercis-canadensis/
hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/crape-myrtle/
landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/malus-prairifire
hort.ifas.ufl.edu/treesandpowerlines/chionanthus_virginicus.shtml
edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ST023
extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/flowering-crabapple-trees-7-424/
hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/star-magnolia-magnolia-stellata/
web.extension.illinois.edu/shrubselector/detail_plant.cfm?PlantID=363