It’s Poppin’: April 17

April 17, 2025

Tulips, Magnolias, & Wildflowers Shine

Blue Skies returned to northeast Ohio this week and many new blooms, lying in wait for the last several weeks, have popped. Wildflowers are now out at the Arboretum, while the tulips are opening up in our allee at the botanical garden. Here’s a closer look at what’s in bloom:

Holden Arboretum

The second round of magnolias are now blooming. Be sure to check each magnolia for fragrance- each species and cultivar varies. Magnolia kobus and its shining creamy white petals are the Rhododendron Discovery Garden, while Magnolia x loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’ has opened its blooms on the western shore of Lotus Pond. Our wildflowers are also blooming- a walk through the Pierson Creek valley will bring views of sharp-lobed hepatica and yellow trout lily. Finally, visit the bog area in the wildflower garden to see the urn-shaped flowers of leatherleaf, a magnet for early pollinators native to Ohio’s increasingly rare wild peatlands.

Cleveland Botanical Garden

At the garden, the tulip allée, a not-to-be-missed destination, is starting to shine. Over the next week the plants will fully open. Our Japanese maple leaves are starting to unfurl, offering a splash of red in the Japanese Garden. Also look for the three Leonard Messel magnolias along the staircase in the sunken garden arising to East Boulevard. In the rose garden, our tiny, knee-high Bonfire peaches are in bloom. Finally, in the gateway garden, the early blooming Lilac Syringa x hyacinthiflora ‘Royal Purple’ is at peak several weeks before our other types of lilacs.

Are you ready for spring? Visit our campuses for amazing color – it’s all about to hit hard over the next few weeks.

Tom Arbour, M.En.

Curator of Living Collections

As Curator of Living Collections at Holden Forests and Gardens, Tom guides the acquisition and documentation of more than 20,000 plants and trees at Cleveland Botanical Garden and The Holden Arboretum. Significant arboretum collections include oak, crabapple, maple, conifers, and Ohio wildflowers. At the Cleveland Botanical Garden, two biome-based glasshouses contain plants of the Madagascar spiny forest and a rich neotropical rainforest community. Tom is particularly interested in connecting with those wanting to use Holden’s living collections for research. Please contact Tom to learn more about the broad collection of trees and plants at our two campuses.

Learn more about me

Here’s more to explore

View all

People for Trees™

Make a difference in
your own backyard.

Plant and care for a tree beginning with making a pledge. We will support each pledge with easy-to-follow instructional toolkits, guidance on how to select the most appropriate tree and where to purchase it, free virtual classes and other ongoing support.

Make a pledge