Landscape Architecture
What’s Blooming Now: A Quick Guide for Spring Plants in Seattle
Wondering what's blooming in Seattle in the spring? Maybe you’ve noticed some flowers on your walks around town and don’t know what they are? We are certainly big fans of when the flowers start peeking out in the spring. Here is a quick guide to some of our favorites that you will find in Seattle.
April 5, 2018
Nothing beats the winter blues like early spring flowers!
Tulips and daffodils are great, but what if your landscape craves something more permanent? Here are some of our favorite early spring performers and why we love them.
Flowering Currant - Ribes sanguinium
With vibrant, slightly spicy scented flowers, these deciduous shrubs are a favorite late winter/early spring food source for hummingbirds. Showy clusters of flowers, ranging from pure white to deep rose pink, cover the bush in late March dangling 1-2 inches long.
Shown Above: Flowering Currant — Ribes sanguinium ‘White Icicle’
Shown Above: Flowering Currant — Ribes sanguinium ‘Pokey’s Pink’
Plant them along a fence line or a house, in full sun to dappled shade. This deciduous shrub will grow up to 3’ wide x 6’ tall. In full sun, it will become a robust hedge; in dappled shade, it will grow into an elegant open shrub.
Shown Above: Flowering Currant — Ribes sanguinium ‘King Edward V’
We love this plant for its lush early blooms and adaptability. A range of available cultivars (shown above) provide variety in flower color, making it a perfect addition to almost any garden!
Early Stachyurus – Stachyurus praecox
Though a lesser-known genus, we think Stachyurus is one of the most interesting early bloomers. Forming long, creamy yellow chains of small round flowers on deep red stems, this small, vase-shaped tree is an eye-catching addition alongside evergreen shrubs.
Shown Above: Early Stachyurus — Stachyurus praecox
This little tree also flushes a variety of bright colors in autumn and shows off smooth red bark in winter. Growing 6’ wide x 8’ tall, this tree is best planted in partial sun to open shade in front of an evergreen backdrop. We love this plant because it provides unique seasonal interest and food for early-foraging bees.
Buttercup Winterhazel – Corylopsis pauciflora
Short, robust chains of creamy yellow flowers cover this small shrub in mid-March and persist into early April. The blossoms are often lightly citrus-scented and are great forage for hummingbirds and early bees.
Shown Above: Buttercup Winterhazel — Corylopsis pauciflora
We love this plant for its refreshing early blossoms, clean compact habit, and lightly lemony scent!
What else is blooming?
This post is first in our ongoing “What’s Blooming” series. As we add more, we’ll update the list here, so you can continue learning about the lovely plants blooming (or otherwise looking great) in the Seattle area each month.
May
What’s Blooming Now: In Seattle, Dogwood Trees! Are you wondering: “What are those trees blooming in late spring, with large flowers in shades of pink or white?” They might be dogwoods, a powerhouse of landscape design that has a number of great cultivars and varieties. Here are a few of our favorite dogwood varieties, along with some details about their care and preferences.
June
What's Blooming Now: June in Seattle June in Seattle is also known as “Juneuary,” thanks to our famously rainy early summers. But there are still plenty of flowers to enjoy at this time of year, and you could argue they look even better glistening with raindrops. Read on to learn about the Japanese Snowbell, the Pacific Mock Orange, and Creeping Honeysuckle.
July
What’s Blooming Now: Moon Gardens in July How much do you love a moon garden? When designing your landscape, don’t forget you can plan not only for the experience of the garden in the daytime, but also the late night hours! These blooming plants are great candidates for a beautiful (and great smelling) night garden.
August
What’s Blooming Now, In August: Hydrangeas Hydrangeas may be well-known, but did you there are a variety of different types? From the aptly-named ‘Incrediball’ to even a climbing version (really!) — here a the details on a few of our favorites, recommendations on where to plant them, and how to make sure they get what the need to be a champ bloomer.
