Large Pink & White Flower Trees That Bloom in the Fall

Many camellia varieties have pink flowers that bloom into fall.Wataru Yanagida/Digital Vision/Getty Images

Whether or not a tree blooms in the fall depends in large part on the climate. Some trees, such as most spring-blooming trees, need a "chilling" period before they can bloom. Flowering trees that bloom in the fall are usually those that do not need a chilling period and thrive in warmer temperatures, such as those found in the southern part of the United States. These trees often start blooming in mid or late summer and continue on into fall.

Crape Myrtle

Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia spp) are desirable for their large clusters of colorful flowers. These trees bloom in a wide variety of shades ranging from creamy white to bright red. The specific flowering time ranges from mid to late summer depending on the cultivar, but most bloom well into fall. Some of the largest cultivars can reach heights of over 30 feet and feature equally large pink or white flowers. These include "Fantasy," which has white flowers, and "Choctaw," which has clear pink flowers. "Biloxi" is a cultivar with very pale pink blooms. Crape myrtles thrive in full sun and can survive in U.S. Department of Agriculture Hardiness Map zones 6 through 10. The warmer the weather, the longer they will bloom into fall.

The sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) is a tree that can reach heights of over 50 feet. The distinctive evergreen leaves are dark green on top and silvery underneath. The large, showy flowers, which bloom from June through early fall, are white with a lemon scent. The tree grows in USDA zones 5 through 10 and is only evergreen in the warmer zones (8 through 10). In colder growing zones, the leaves slowly change color and drop off as fall progresses.

The sasanqua camellia is not as well-known as its relative, Camellia japonica, but it has one important difference. Unlike C. japonica, the sasanqua camellia has many large cultivars that are often grown as trees. These plants feature large, showy flowers in a shade of pink or white. Depending on the climate and specific cultivar, they will bloom anytime from early fall to early winter. Sasanqua camellias grow best in dappled shade, but they will tolerate full sunlight; they thrive in USDA zones 7 through 9. These hardy plants rarely suffer from insect pests or diseases, and can even tolerate brief periods of neglect.