Extension Educator, Horticulture I'm sure I'm not the only one
anxiously anticipating spring flowers. Actually I would settle
for just a bit of green life poking through the ground. We may
not always notice the spring flowers of some trees and shrubs.
Maples and oaks, for example, do flower, but they usually go
unnoticed by most individuals except for allergy sufferers.
Other trees and shrubs, such as crabapples and lilacs, are
planted specifically for their attractive flowers. Apples,
cherries and other fruit trees are grown for their edible fruit.
Many gardeners become concerned when their flowering tree or
shrub fails to produce blossoms. The failure of woody plants to
bloom may be due to several factors. All plants must be
physiologically mature before they are capable of blooming.
During the juvenile stage of growth, plants are strictly
vegetative and do not bloom. For annuals, such as marigolds and
petunias, the juvenile stage may last for only a few weeks.
Trees, however, may not be physiologically mat