1. Paulowina Tormentosa

It’s no wonder Paulownia is also known as the Empress Tree. It strikes a very commanding presence in any garden, rapidly growing up to 20m unless you prefer to prune it to a more compact height. As if the enormous, soft leaves weren’t reason enough to give it pride of place, each spring Paulownia boasts clusters of large, scented purple flowers that resemble foxgloves - hence the name.

But don’t let its delicate beauty fool you - this is an incredibly hardy tree that can even survive wildfires, as its roots have the ability to regenerate!

2. Shirofugen Cherry Blossom

We couldn’t make a list of flowering trees without including a cherry blossom! They’re like poetry on a tree, and we’re sure plenty of haiku have been written about them. In Japan they have whole festivals devoted to sakura (cherry blossom) - and we reckon that’s about the level of respect this graceful, vibrant tree deserves. This variety is a ‘chrysanthemum’ cherry, with the most densely packed pink blooms boasting over 100 petals each.

3. Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip Tree)

This is an ideal tree for you if you’re missing your spring tulips - in June and July, the Liriodendron tree blooms with large, yellow-green flowers that look just like tulips and open with a warm orange flare and a crown of pale stamens - just spectacular. Add to this the glossy green foliage and its stunning autumn colours and it’s not hard to see why this tree is a grower’s favourite. It’s fast growing, long-lived and a great choice for cities because it’s pollution tolerant.

4. Golden False Acacia

As if the foliage wasn’t lovely enough - bright lime green changing to golden yellows - the Golden False Acacia bears long racemes of perfumed white flowers that look like wisteria. The contrast is stunning, and because the flowers are highly attractive to pollinators, you can sit under this tree on long summer afternoons listening to the gentle buzz of bees and watch butterflies chasing through the leaves - bliss!

5. Magnolia Stellata

The most compliments I have ever received for a plant has to be for this tree in my front garden. Every April and May it transforms into a cloud of star-shaped white flowers with a hint of pink and a subtle fragrance that greets you every time you come home. For those with a yearning for brighter colours, Magnolias Susan and Soulangeana are vibrant pink/purple variations with more of a classic ‘goblet’ shaped flower.

Did you know? Magnolia trees have been around for over 100 million years and evolved to be pollinated by beetles because bees didn’t exist back then!