Welcome to spring!

The equinox is here, spring has officially arrived.  With the warm temperatures this past week, things have been happening fast. Daffodils are blooming, the dwarf Irises are up, and even the early blooming magnolias are breaking bud. Looking at the forecast, we might be headed to more spring-like days which will slow things down a bit, and that’s good for the blooms. Here’s what caught our eye on the grounds this week!

Cleveland Botanical Garden

This week I spotted an early blooming shrub on the terrace and underneath our massive red oak.  What was this shrub that had even beaten the Forsythia?  Turns out I was looking at a hybrid abelia, ‘Abelia x grandiflora ‘Sherwoodii’.  This plant is somewhat sensitive to cold, so perhaps this is why I hadn’t seen it before growing in other places in Northeast Ohio. The white blooms with a yellow center were quite striking.

The famous hybrid witch-hazel, ‘Arnold’s Promise’, named for the Arnold Arboretum in Boston, was wowing in the Japanese garden.  Several shrubs three-quarters up the slope to East Boulevard shined on a cloudy day.

Finally, while it looks like a vine, our carefully trained Cornelian Cherry, Cornus mas, in the restorative garden against the limestone exterior wall of Woodland Hall is actually a small tree.  Cornel is another name for dogwood, so this plant is essentially the “Dogwood Cherry”, named for its small, bright red, oval fruit.  It’s not really edible, per se, but I’ve tasted the fruits when ripe in late summer, and they hold potential!

Holden Arboretum

The witch-hazels are still going strong – look for them in the rhododendron gardens and near the visitor center. 

Also, we have several cultivars of dwarf iris now blooming – these hybrids based on the species Iris reticulata, can be yellow, pale blue, and dark blue. They are especially beautiful near the main parking lot.

Also near the visitor center, the hellebore, or Lenten rose plants, are absolutely at peak.  These perennials have been hybridized over the generations, and you’ll see several flower colors, including white, maroon, pink, and cream. They are not in the rose family, but are actually buttercups.  The genus Helleborus contains plants native only to Europe and Asia.  While not native, they do not demonstrate any invasive tendencies, and bloom much earlier than most of our native flora, making them popular choices for gardeners seeking early spring color.

It’s poppin’ out there.  Enjoy the blooms!