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12 Stunning Blue Flowering Trees for Your Garden

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Home » Flowering Trees » 12 Stunning Blue Flowering Trees for Your Garden

Blue flowering trees and shrubs are not that common compared to other colors.

Here are some of our favorites that are mostly blue, while some range to more purple.

Enjoy!

Beautiful Blue Blooming Trees You Will Love

1. Victoria California Lilac

The Victoria California Lilac is a beautiful shrub known for its vibrant indigo-blue flowers and glossy foliage.

As a water-wise native, it adds significant charm and color to any landscape from late spring through early summer, attracting hummingbirds, butterflies, and beneficial pollinators.

Hardy across USDA zones 7 to 10, this easy-care ornamental grows quickly to a height and width of 4-8 feet, making it versatile for hedges, privacy screens, or as a focal point in gardens.

Its fine-textured foliage and the profusion of fragrant blooms make it a valuable addition to xeriscape gardens and fire-scaping.

  • USDA Growing Zones: 7-10
  • Growth Rate: Fast
  • Height: Mature height of 4-8 ft.
  • Width: Mature width of 4-8 ft.
  • Flowers: Indigo-blue in late spring to early summer
  • Sunlight Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
  • Botanical Name: Ceanothus impressus ‘Victoria’

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2. Skylark California Lilac

The Skylark California Lilac is a vibrant, low-maintenance shrub that dazzles with its cerulean blue blooms in late spring to early summer.

Despite its name, it belongs to the buckthorn family, not the lilac family, yet it shares the enticing lilac-like fragrance and appeal.

This evergreen perennial is highly adaptable and tolerant, making it a perfect addition to coastal, Mediterranean, and cottage gardens.

Its violet-blue, fragrant flowers are not only a visual treat but also attract hummingbirds and other pollinators, while its foliage offers year-round shelter.

Resistant to deer and rabbits, and thriving in clay soil with minimal water, the Skylark California Lilac is an excellent choice for gardeners looking for beauty without the hassle.

  • USDA Growing Zones: 7-10
  • Growth Rate: Moderate
  • Height: Mature height of 4-6 ft.
  • Width: Mature width of 9-12 ft.
  • Flowers: Cerulean blue in late spring to early summer
  • Sunlight Requirements: Full to partial sunlight
  • Botanical Name: Ceanothus thyrsiflorus ‘Skylark’

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3. Blue Satin Rose Of Sharon

The Blue Satin Rose of Sharon Althea tree is a striking addition to any landscape, boasting large, vibrant blue blooms that feature a contrasting purple/red hue and a distinctive white center.

This rare blue-flowering tree is versatile enough to enhance entryways, patios, or the corners of your home with its unparalleled beauty.

Not only is the Azurri Blue Satin® adaptable to all soil types, including clay, but it also exhibits drought tolerance and deer resistance, making it a worry-free choice for gardeners seeking both beauty and ease of care.

  • USDA Growing Zones: 5-9
  • Growth Rate: Fast
  • Height: Mature height of 8-10 ft.
  • Width: Mature width of 4-6 ft.
  • Flowers: Vibrant blue with a purple/red contrast and white center
  • Sunlight Requirements: Full sun
  • Botanical Name: Hibiscus syriacus ‘Marina’

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4. True Blue Butterfly Bush

The True Blue Butterfly Bush offers a rare spectacle in gardens with its true-blue blooms, attracting butterflies, hummingbirds, and admirers alike.

This unique tree form Buddleia stands out with panicles of fragrant blue-purple flowers against silver-gray foliage, blooming from spring to the first frost.

Perfect for small beds, containers, and as an accent or focal point in various garden styles, it’s pruned into an elegant tree form for added interest.

Hardy in zones 5-10, this drought-tolerant plant is low maintenance and adaptable to pruning, allowing you to shape it to your liking. Enhance your garden with this stunning, wildlife-friendly tree.

  • USDA Growing Zones: 5-10 outdoors
  • Growth Rate: Moderate
  • Height: Mature height of 4-6 ft.
  • Width: Mature width of 2-3 ft.
  • Flowers: Fragrant blue-purple blooms
  • Sunlight Requirements: Full sun
  • Botanical Name: Buddleia ‘Bostulu’

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5. Blue Chinese Wisteria

The Blue Chinese Wisteria tree is a breathtakingly beautiful focal point for any landscape, known for its striking blue-purple flowers and sweet fragrance.

This tree form of the traditional Wisteria vine stands out with its single stem and sturdy trunk, supporting cascades of fragrant blooms that appear in spring before the foliage.

This fast-growing, disease-resistant tree is highly adaptable, drought-tolerant once established, and resistant to deer.

It thrives best in full sun, reaching a mature height of 10-15 feet and a spread of 10-12 feet. Perfect for accentuating entryways, patios, or as a standalone specimen, the Blue Chinese Wisteria Tree adds a touch of elegance and charm to any setting.

  • USDA Growing Zones: 5-9
  • Growth Rate: Fast
  • Height: Mature height of 10-15 ft.
  • Width: Mature width of 10-12 ft.
  • Flowers: Fragrant blue-purple blooms in spring
  • Sunlight Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
  • Botanical Name: Wisteria sinensis

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6. Ironwood

The Ironwood Tree, scientifically known as Memecylon umbellatum, is a notable large shrub or small tree revered for its incredibly hard bark and branches, which have historically contributed to the production of Wootz steel.

Originating from Southeast Asia, this plant is distinguished by its simple, opposite leaves that interestingly contain glucose, and its striking bright blue flowers that bloom in cymose umbels, making an almost surreal display from February to March.

Following the bloom period, it produces round, initially yellow fruits that mature to a bluish-black color.

The Ironwood Tree serves not only as an ornamental beauty but also holds ethnomedical significance, although it’s primarily cultivated for its aesthetic appeal and its ability to attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

  • USDA Growing Zones: 10-11
  • Growth Rate: Moderate
  • Height: Large shrub form 5-10 ft, Small tree form 10-20 ft
  • Width: Varies with pruning and age
  • Flowers: Bright blue, blooming in February-March
  • Sunlight Requirements: Thrives in full sun to semi-shade
  • Botanical Name: Memecylon umbellatum

7. Texas Mountain Laurel

Sophora secundiflora, commonly known as Texas Mountain Laurel, Mescal Bean, or Frijolillo, is a perennial shrub or small tree that is native to the southern and central regions of Texas, extending west to southern New Mexico and south to San Luis Potosi in Mexico.

Esteemed for its evergreen nature, this plant typically matures to a height of 10-15 feet, showcasing dense, glossy, dark green foliage and bearing fragrant, drooping clusters of bluish-lavender flowers in early spring.

The flowers’ scent is often likened to artificial grape, making them a distinctive and attractive feature.

Although it thrives in rocky limestone soils and is drought-tolerant, the plant’s seeds contain cytisine, a toxic alkaloid, which was historically used by indigenous people for ceremonial purposes.

  • USDA Growing Zones: 7-11
  • Growth Rate: Slow to moderate
  • Height: Usually 10-15 ft, can reach over 30 ft in height
  • Width: Can vary significantly based on conditions and age
  • Flowers: Blue, purple; blooms in February, March, April
  • Sunlight Requirements: Full sun to part shade
  • Botanical Name: Sophora secundiflora

8. Blue Hong Kong Orchid Tree

Blue Hong Kong Orchid Tree
Image Credit: TopTropicals.com

The Dwarf Orchid Tree, is a perennial shrub notable for its semi-evergreen leaves and showy blue flowers.

Suited for USDA zones 9b through 11, it reaches a height of 6 to 10 feet, thriving under full sun to partial shade conditions. This plant prefers mesic environments with slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil pH levels.

The Dwarf Orchid Tree is drought and humidity tolerant, making it an excellent choice for a windbreak, hedge, or a striking container plant requiring excellent drainage.

It blooms mainly in summer through fall, adding a splash of color with its 1″-2″ blue flowers.

Given its slow growth rate, patience may be required to see its full blooming potential, as indicated by experiences of waiting over a decade for flowers.

  • USDA Growing Zones: 9b to 11
  • Growth Rate: Slow
  • Height: 6-10 feet
  • Flowers: Blue; blooms in summer through fall
  • Sunlight Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
  • Botanical Name: Bauhinia grandidieri

9. Blue Diddley® Chaste Tree

The Blue Diddley® Chaste tree is a compact, dwarf variety of the traditional Chaste Tree, offering the same stunning true-blue flower spikes throughout the summer.

It’s an ideal choice for gardeners with limited space, delivering the beauty of blue blooms without the size of its larger counterparts.

This hardy, easy-care plant is perfect as a standout specimen or grouped for a dramatic hedge. Its aromatic green foliage, with a hint of silver, turns into a show of blue spikes from summer to fall.

Blue Diddley® is fast-growing, drought-tolerant, disease-resistant, and deer-resistant, making it a worry-free addition to any landscape.

Suitable for zones 5-9, it reaches a manageable height and spread of 3-6 feet, thriving in full sun and requiring moderate moisture.

  • USDA Growing Zones: 5-9
  • Growth Rate: Medium
  • Height: Mature height of 3-6 ft.
  • Width: Mature width of 3-6 ft.
  • Flowers: True-blue spikes from summer to fall
  • Sunlight Requirements: Full sun
  • Botanical Name: Vitex agnus-castus ‘SMVACBD’

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10. Dwarf Bonsai Blue Jacaranda

Dwarf Bonsai Blue Jacaranda

The Bonsai Blue Jacaranda presents a rare opportunity to enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the jacaranda tree in a compact, dwarf form.

Perfect for small gardens and patios, this true dwarf jacaranda captivates with its showy blue flowers and bright green, fern-like foliage, providing a stunning contrast in any landscape setting.

Its drought and heat resistance make it an ideal choice for warmer areas (Zones 9-11), thriving in full sun and adapting to a variety of soil types, including alkaline and poor soils.

With a fast growth rate, it reaches up to 10-12 feet in height and 6-8 feet in width, making it suitable for borders, decorative containers, or as a standout specimen.

The Bonsai Blue Jacaranda blooms from May to June, attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators to your garden.

For those in cooler climates, it can be grown in a container and moved indoors during colder months, ensuring its vibrant presence year-round.

  • USDA Growing Zones: 4-11 patio / 9-11 outdoors
  • Growth Rate: Fast
  • Height: Mature height of 10-12 ft.
  • Width: Mature width of 6-8 ft.
  • Flowers: Showy bluish purple flowers from May to June
  • Sunlight Requirements: Full sun
  • Botanical Name: Jacaranda mimosifolia ‘Sakai01’

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11. Tibouchina urvilleana ‘Athens Blue’

Tibouchina urvilleana ‘Athens Blue’

The compact selection of the Princess Flower, known for its more tightly branching habit, offers a long blooming season from late spring through fall, adorned with royal purple flowers.

This evergreen shrub boasts dark green, velvety leaves with reddish venation, reaching up to 7 feet in height and width if left unpruned.

Ideal for planting in protected locations, it thrives in full sun to part shade, requiring regular watering, rich organic soil, and acid-type fertilizer.

Mulching is recommended to maintain cool root temperatures. This shrub is a butterfly attractant and is suitable for USDA zones 9b to 11, making it a vibrant addition to gardens in warmer climates.

  • USDA Growing Zones: 9b to 11
  • Growth Rate: Moderate
  • Height: Up to 7 feet
  • Width: Up to 7 feet, if unpruned
  • Flowers: Blueish to Mostly Royal purple; late spring through fall
  • Sunlight Requirements: Full sun to part shade
  • Botanical Name: Tibouchina urvilleana ‘Athens Blue’

12. Empress Tree

Paulownia tomentosa, commonly known as the Princess tree, Empress tree, or foxglove-tree, is a deciduous hardwood native to central and western China.

Recognized for its rapid growth and invasive nature in North America, this tree thrives across a broad range of environments, showcasing large, heart-shaped leaves and fragrant, violet-blue flowers in early spring.

Its ability to regenerate quickly from roots makes it resilient to wildfires, while its seeds are easily dispersed by wind and water, contributing to its widespread naturalization outside its native range.

  • USDA Growing Zones: 5-9
  • Growth Rate: Fast
  • Height: 10–25 m (33–82 ft)
  • Width: Broad canopy, size varies with growth conditions.
  • Flowers: Violet-blue, fragrant, blooming in early spring before the leaves.
  • Sunlight Requirements: Full sun for optimal growth and flower production.

Want More?

Expand your horizons beyond blue and explore an array of flowering trees, from the delicate beauty of small flowering varieties to the breathtaking allure of the prettiest blooms.

Delve into the serene whites, vibrant orange, romantic pinks, fiery reds, majestic purples, and cheerful yellows in our collection of flowering tree articles.

Happy exploring!

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Fern Berg - Founder

Expert Gardener & Horticulturist in Training

Fern is an IARC certified horticulturist and has planted and currently cares for over 100 different native and exotic fruit, nut, and ornamental trees. She also cultivates an extensive vegetable garden, several flower gardens and cares for an ever-growing happy family of indoor plants. Fern has a special interest in biodynamic farming, food production and closed loop agriculture. Fern founded Tree Vitalize to help guide others with an interest in tree planting, identification and care.

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