I’m looking for information on flowering ornamental trees that do not bear fruit. We have many bears in the fall. I reside in Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia. I would like the tree to grow about 30 ft tall, and flower fairly early. The tree will be located on our front lawn area, and will receive substantial amounts of water. Soil is clay and sand deaper with a few inches of top soil. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks have a great day.
Google Leycesteria formosa or himalayan honeysuckle. It's not really a tree just a LARGE bush but is unusual. It will reseed, but slowly so watch it. barb
Maybe I am a bit warmer. I'm in the NW corner of Anacortes facing the straights and mine had never suffered. It was up against an unheated garage. In fact it had to be removed because it got so big. We couldn't use the garage door so had to pull it out. It was too big to just move. I have several other plants that evedently came from seeds and they are away from the house and doing fine. barb
Leycesteria formosa has fruit - soft, fairly small berries, but plenty of them. Good food for birds, but not so good for the local native flora as the seeds germinate and can be invasive. And I'd suspect bears will enjoy them too. Better to try for something that has dry seeds, such as Holodiscus discolor, native in your area and with nice sprays of white flowers. Edit: just re-read the original query - both Leycesteria formosa and Holodiscus discolor are shrubs growing to 2-3 metres tall, which is not what was asked for, and neither would be hardy at Radium Hot Springs anyway (had to look up its location, far inland). Difficult to find something that would be hardy there, and has conspicuous flowers, but fruit that wouldn't interest bears. Rowans fit the first two, but would attract bears; birch and alder fit the first and last, but don't have conspicuous flowers. Wild Cherry might be an option, it has fruit, but earlier in the summer, before the bears will be getting hungry for the autumn fattening-up time.
Perhaps Cercis or a hardy Magnolia would work. Squirrels love magnolia seed, but I doubt they would be interesting to bears--not sure of that though. A dogwood might work. Perhaps an ornamental pear.
Maybe Prunus virginiana. I suggest this because it is adapted to the interior region, considered decorative enough to be available as named cultivars with purple foliage - if desired. Produces small cherries but I can't see bears attending it in the same manner as an orchard fruit like an apple, especially if the species happens to be growing natively in the vicinity. If still looking start with what will take your climate, and then work from there.
Maybe some of the hardier hawthorn varieties? Small but attractive flowers. Same deal with small but maybe less bear attractant fruit as chokecherries.
