As I look out my window on this mid-February morning, snowflakes are falling and, in spite of what the groundhogs may have said, spring still feels like a long way off. In Central Ohio though, we know how quickly that can change and, more often than not, come the middle of March we’ll have weekends with temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s. So while we await the next snow event and hope for the warmer days, I thought this would be a great time to look ahead to the early blooming plants that are the true harbingers of spring.
Believe it or not, but you may already have seen some plants in bloom. Some species of Witch Hazel, Hamamelis, have already begun to bloom or are in bloom right now. Some people consider these to be winter-bloomers, but I am an optimist so I will call them the first flowers of spring! Depending on the species and variety, these flowers are most often shades of yellows and oranges and have a very unique spider-like shape. These large shrubs can do well in a variety of settings from sun to partial shade and they are tolerant of wetter areas.
We will likely soon be seeing the first blooms of the Forsythia. If there is a rock-star of spring bloom, it is the Forsythia. Bright yellow flowers absolutely cover the branches of these large shrubs and if you find one that hasn’t been poorly pruned, the show can be spectacular! If you have one in your yard, prune it immediately after flowering and then leave it alone until the following year so that you do not prune off the buds that are set on new growth later in the spring and summer.
The next commonly found plant to bloom in our landscape settings is Cornellian Cherry Dogwood, Cornus mas. While not as common as Forsythia, you may see the soft yellow flowers of this plant in larger landscapes where it has been given room to grow. Much more common, by early to mid-April, you will start seeing some of the Cherry species, Prunus, beginning to show off blooms of whites and pinks. The most famous display of Cherry trees are the Yoshino Cherry trees in Washington DC that can be seem in full bloom around the Potomac Tidal Basin in early April. Some of these trees are over 100 years old, including the original two that were planted by Ohio’s own Nellie Taft, who was the first lady at the time, in 1912.
Shortly after the Cherry trees, we will be seeing Magnolia and Serviceberry trees begin to display their colors. The airy and gentle white flowers of the Serviceberry, Amelanchier, are a stark contrast to the large and bold flowers of the Magnolia. At the shrub level, we will also start to see Rhododendrons bloom during this timeframe. Although they tend to do poorly in our Central Ohio soils, the unmatched beauty of the Rhododendron flowers has kept gardeners attempting to grow them here for generations.
Although we think of them as being early sign of spring, it is only in mid-April, after all of the previously mentioned plants have already begun to bloom, that we see the fragrant and colorful Crabapple, Malus, begin to bloom. Within this diverse genus of plants you will see single-blooms, double blooms, pink, white, and even red flowers, and even some that bud in one color and open to another. These are also a favorite of pollinators such as bees and other insects.
We’ll wrap up the spring bloom season with the unmatched fragrance of the Viburnums and Lilacs, Syringa, in early May. By this time we’ll be starting to see some of our summer blooming plants get going and even some of our summer annuals planted by those who are willing to risk jumping the gun on our mid-May frost free date after which it is generally much safer to plant the tender annuals that provide color through the hot months.
Lest you think I forgot, we’ll talk about Tulips, Daffodils, Hyacinths, and other spring blooming bulbs later in the fall when it is the right time for planting. You can’t beat the color of Tulips so I had to at least tease that discussion with the photo for this post! In the meantime, enjoy the last few weeks of winter weather and spring with all of it’s sights, sounds, and fragrances will be upon us before you know it.