Flowering trees for zone 5b/6a

[Hoyonokuma]

As I'm finally moving to a bigger house with a nice garden before next fall, I've spent some time searching for some flowering trees (for bonsai and landscape) that best fit our climate in So. Germany.
What looks to be the biggest issue, even more than the winter temperatures, is the general lack of light, even in summer (which yeah I know it's an oxymoron for someone looking for blooming trees)

I'd love some ume (Yabai maybe better suited? ) but I'm not sure it's going to like it long term here.
Satsuki Azaleas are some other ones I'm interested in, but not sure either.
I found out Cotoneaster and Judas Tree also don't dislike some good winter dormancy but haven't seen them quite as often.

I'm asking you pro nutters for opinions/experiences about the trees above or if you have some more option that I haven't considered yet.
Thanks in advance

 

[Tums]

Hmm, some trees/shrubs that I've seen are:
Malus/crabapple
Amelanchier/serviceberry
Styrax/snowbell
Potentilla
Stewartia (but I think only pseudocamellia and its varieties do zone 5?)

There are probably some cherries and evergreen azaleas that fit the bill too but I don't know what's available for you.

 

[Cadillactaste]

Lack of light may be an issue. Many times over they won't bloom without good sunny locations.

Forsythia needs sun to bloom. The year i had it in morning sun I didn't have a good show at all for blooms. This image was from good afternoon sun...I was rewarded.


Pyracantha/firethorn may also work for you. you may not get a full flush of blooms if you don't have good sun location though. As to satsuki azalea. Make sure you get cold hardy varieties. My neagari satsuki can't go below 32F. conversation puts that at .01C.

 

[Kanorin]

Dogwoods (Cornus ) are very shade-tolerant.

 

[Forsoothe!]

Flowers are nice while they're in bloom, but that's a pretty small percentage of their existence and dropping the petals on the lawn and everywhere else can mar that beauty. Consider trees with attractive foliage, especially in contrast adjacent to each other. 'Royal Star' Magnolia stellata blooms early, Korean Dogwood is dark green and bulletproof with white flowers, and Japanese maples cover the red, green, chartreuse, yellow and orange spectrum as under-story low trees to 15-20 feet. Cornus contraversa 'Variegata' is unmatched, but needs to be in shade to maintain wide white leaf margins. 'Tiger Eyes' Sumac suckers into a nice grove in a dry zone, but is a little wild if you need to restrict it to a given area.

A larger tree line of 'Royal Crimson' Birch, 'Sunburst' Honey Locust, (or either 'Princeton Gold' Norway Maple or Concordia Golden English Oak), Tri-Color Beech (or either 'Crimson King' or 'Schwedler' Norway Maple,) 'Goshiki' Zelkova serrata, and Paperbark Maple, in approximately that rotation order will give you many weeks of outstanding color and conrast in spring and early summer something like this row of (left to right) 'Butterflies' JM, Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Lutea', 'Imperial' JM, Tamarisk, Sea Buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides, (hard to see 'Skylands' Oriental Spruce) and 'Tiger Eyes' Sumac...

Abies koreana 'Horstmann's Silberlocke', and Picea orientalis 'Skylands' Oriental spruce are striking smaller spruces.

The sky's the limit on shrubs and I'll leave that to others, but Poncirus trifoliata 'Flying Dragon' has great interest next to a walkway.

​

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

For majority of flowering trees, sun is key. If you can not provide half day or longer of full sun, Malus, Prunus, and most other flowering trees will not perform. There are relatively few shade loving flowering trees that work for bonsai. Cornus florida, flowering dogwood tolerates shade well, but it is somewhat lanky as bonsai (long internodes). Used occasionally, can make a nice "deciduous literati".

You might have to consider tree removal to allow at least part of your bonsai growing area more than a half day of sun.

 

[Hoyonokuma]

Hmm, some trees/shrubs that I've seen are:
Malus/crabapple
Amelanchier/serviceberry
Styrax/snowbell
Potentilla
Stewartia (but I think only pseudocamellia and its varieties do zone 5?)

There are probably some cherries and evergreen azaleas that fit the bill too but I don't know what's available for you.

Right.. Entirely forgot about potentilla.
Nice catch.

We're definitely going for some cherries as landscape trees because my gf's main priority for the garden is to be able to enjoy the variety of plants and fruits.
I've had a very big one in Italy that bore so many fruits every year, you couldn't eat them all before some started to go bad.
And I'm an avid strawberry/cherry eater

 

[Hoyonokuma]

Lack of light may be an issue. Many times over they won't bloom without good sunny locations.

Forsythia needs sun to bloom. The year i had it in morning sun I didn't have a good show at all for blooms. This image was from good afternoon sun...I was rewarded.
View attachment 383770

Pyracantha/firethorn may also work for you. you may not get a full flush of blooms if you don't have good sun location though. As to satsuki azalea. Make sure you get cold hardy varieties. My neagari satsuki can't go below 32F. conversation puts that at .01C.
View attachment 383771

Wonderful plants
The stand is gorgeous, too!
I've been saving so many Azaleas on Ebay lately.. I just struggle to find a good guide or hardiness reference manual.
Once I google for the specific cultivars there ain't much that comes out every time, thus the choice to ask on the forum.
I was sure to get very kind and precious infos from you guys

 

[Hoyonokuma]

Dogwoods (Cornus ) are very shade-tolerant.

I'll look deeper into it!!
The choice isn't quite comparable to the other flowering trees (aka Azaleas) but I'll make sure I get enough sample size!

 

[Cadillactaste]

Knowing the variety is so helpful. Not everyone knows what they are selling. Reputable sellers would be the best bet...at the end of the day.

 

[Hoyonokuma]

Be

Flowers are nice while they're in bloom, but that's a pretty small percentage of their existence and dropping the petals on the lawn and everywhere else can mar that beauty. Consider trees with attractive foliage, especially in contrast adjacent to each other. 'Royal Star' Magnolia stellata blooms early, Korean Dogwood is dark green and bulletproof with white flowers, and Japanese maples cover the red, green, chartreuse, yellow and orange spectrum as under-story low trees to 15-20 feet. Cornus contraversa 'Variegata' is unmatched, but needs to be in shade to maintain wide white leaf margins. 'Tiger Eyes' Sumac suckers into a nice grove in a dry zone, but is a little wild if you need to restrict it to a given area.

A larger tree line of 'Royal Crimson' Birch, 'Sunburst' Honey Locust, (or either 'Princeton Gold' Norway Maple or Concordia Golden English Oak), Tri-Color Beech (or either 'Crimson King' or 'Schwedler' Norway Maple,) 'Goshiki' Zelkova serrata, and Paperbark Maple, in approximately that rotation order will give you many weeks of outstanding color and conrast in spring and early summer something like this row of (left to right) 'Butterflies' JM, Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Lutea', 'Imperial' JM, Tamarisk, Sea Buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides, (hard to see 'Skylands' Oriental Spruce) and 'Tiger Eyes' Sumac...
View attachment 383811
Abies koreana 'Horstmann's Silberlocke', and Picea orientalis 'Skylands' Oriental spruce are striking smaller spruces.

The sky's the limit on shrubs and I'll leave that to others, but Poncirus trifoliata 'Flying Dragon' has great interest next to a walkway.

​

Beauuutiful shot and view
I don't have a problem with the whole cleaning and maintenance thing, as I used to live in a big house with a big garden before.. And stuff ain't clean itself
Special mess was provided by the pines and magnolia in the front lol

I love having some variety and I'm totally on your side about leaves..
I love watching my maples changes throughout the seasons, and I haven't experienced their fall colours yet

 

[Hoyonokuma]

For majority of flowering trees, sun is key. If you can not provide half day or longer of full sun, Malus, Prunus, and most other flowering trees will not perform. There are relatively few shade loving flowering trees that work for bonsai. Cornus florida, flowering dogwood tolerates shade well, but it is somewhat lanky as bonsai (long internodes). Used occasionally, can make a nice "deciduous literati".

You might have to consider tree removal to allow at least part of your bonsai growing area more than a half day of sun.

I don't think I'll have a problem getting them half of a day of sun.. I'll set them in the middle of the garden at worst
My concern is due to the weather being mostly inconsistent.. Now, for instance, it's been a good 2 weeks of bad weather with some spare weak hours of sun.
I guess I won't have to worry much about leaf scorch

 

[Hoyonokuma]

Knowing the variety is so helpful. Not everyone knows what they are selling. Reputable sellers would be the best bet...at the end of the day.

Oh yes, I've found a couple good ones both in italy and spain with decent prices, starting with Satsuki or Plaza.
I've found some good german sellers on Ebay, too (Frank Müller for one).

 

[Cadillactaste]

And thanks for the kind words...

 

[Hoyonokuma]

Following @Tums advice, and inspired by the wonderful Amalanchier Canadensis from Nicola Crivelli, I'm giving a shot at the species.
Just ordered an Ovalis