diff --git a/datafusion/expr/src/logical_plan/plan.rs b/datafusion/expr/src/logical_plan/plan.rs
index 3cc032277405..29f2f5a1490c 100644
--- a/datafusion/expr/src/logical_plan/plan.rs
+++ b/datafusion/expr/src/logical_plan/plan.rs
@@ -2739,6 +2739,7 @@ pub struct Repartition {
 /// Union multiple inputs
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash)]
 pub struct Union {
+    // temp make private to help find usages
     /// Inputs to merge
     pub inputs: Vec<Arc<LogicalPlan>>,
     /// Union schema. Should be the same for all inputs.
@@ -2747,9 +2748,12 @@ pub struct Union {
 
 impl Union {
     /// Constructs new Union instance deriving schema from inputs.
+    ///
+    /// Note this will flatten inputs, so that if any input is itself a Union,
+    /// its inputs will be added to this Union's inputs.
     fn try_new(inputs: Vec<Arc<LogicalPlan>>) -> Result<Self> {
         let schema = Self::derive_schema_from_inputs(&inputs, false, false)?;
-        Ok(Union { inputs, schema })
+        Self::new_or_append(inputs, schema)
     }
 
     /// Constructs new Union instance deriving schema from inputs.
@@ -2758,7 +2762,7 @@ impl Union {
     // TODO (https://github.com/apache/datafusion/issues/14380): Avoid creating uncoerced union at all.
     pub fn try_new_with_loose_types(inputs: Vec<Arc<LogicalPlan>>) -> Result<Self> {
         let schema = Self::derive_schema_from_inputs(&inputs, true, false)?;
-        Ok(Union { inputs, schema })
+        Self::new_or_append(inputs, schema)
     }
 
     /// Constructs a new Union instance that combines rows from different tables by name,
@@ -2767,10 +2771,59 @@ impl Union {
     pub fn try_new_by_name(inputs: Vec<Arc<LogicalPlan>>) -> Result<Self> {
         let schema = Self::derive_schema_from_inputs(&inputs, true, true)?;
         let inputs = Self::rewrite_inputs_from_schema(&schema, inputs)?;
+        Self::new_or_append(inputs, schema)
+    }
+
+    /// Return a new Union instance, or append to an existing one if the first input is a Union
+    /// with a matching schema.
+    ///
+    /// Specifically it handles
+    /// * Union(Union(A, B), C) -> Union(A, B, C)
+    /// * Union(A, Union(B, C)) -> Union(A, B, C)
+    fn new_or_append(mut inputs: Vec<Arc<LogicalPlan>>, schema: DFSchemaRef) -> Result<Self> {
+        if !inputs.is_empty() && Self::is_union_with_matching_schema(&inputs[0], &schema) {
+            let union = inputs.remove(0);
+            Self::append_to_union_front(union, inputs)
+        } else if !inputs.is_empty() && Self::is_union_with_matching_schema(&inputs[inputs.len() - 1], &schema) {
+            let union = inputs.pop().unwrap();
+            Self::append_to_union_back(union, inputs)
+        } else {
+            Ok(Union {
+                inputs,
+                schema,
+            })
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn is_union_with_matching_schema(plan: &Arc<LogicalPlan>, schema: &DFSchema) -> bool {
+        matches!(plan.as_ref(), LogicalPlan::Union(_) if plan.schema().as_ref() == schema)
+    }
+
+    // Unwraps a logical plan as a union and adds the input to it
+    fn append_to_union_front(union: Arc<LogicalPlan>, mut new_inputs: Vec<Arc<LogicalPlan>>) -> Result<Self> {
+        let LogicalPlan::Union(Union { schema, mut inputs }) =
+            Arc::unwrap_or_clone(union)
+        else {
+            return internal_err!("Expected a Union plan");
+        };
+        inputs.append(&mut new_inputs);
 
         Ok(Union { inputs, schema })
     }
 
+    // Unwraps a logical plan as a union and adds the input to it
+    fn append_to_union_back(union: Arc<LogicalPlan>, mut new_inputs: Vec<Arc<LogicalPlan>>) -> Result<Self> {
+        let LogicalPlan::Union(Union { schema, mut inputs }) =
+            Arc::unwrap_or_clone(union)
+        else {
+            return internal_err!("Expected a Union plan");
+        };
+        new_inputs.append(&mut inputs);
+
+        Ok(Union { inputs: new_inputs, schema })
+    }
+
+
     /// When constructing a `UNION BY NAME`, we need to wrap inputs
     /// in an additional `Projection` to account for absence of columns
     /// in input schemas or differing projection orders.