Welcome back! It’s still early spring and the gardens are starting to ramp up. Here are some new blooms to check out at both of our campuses this weekend: 

Holden Arboretum

Starting off our list is one of our earliest-blooming native spring ephemeral wildflowers, spring beauty (Claytonia virginica). Small and unassuming, these delicate plants only flower for a short period of time before setting seed and going dormant, so make sure to keep an eye out on the side of the trails as you walk through the wooded areas of the arboretum.  

Next up is another native wildflower you’ll find clinging to the banks of the stream flowing through the west side of the Wildflower Garden: marsh marigold (Caltha palustris). This member of the buttercup family is just beginning to open its first golden flowers of the year. If you have a consistently wet area on your land, especially a stream, consider planting this moisture-loving native and you will be rewarded with sunny blooms every spring.  

Our last highlight for the arboretum this week is Loebner magnolia (Magnolia x loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’). Each year, our earliest-blooming magnolias risk frost damage when their buds begin opening and we get hit with a hard frost. Luckily, the Loebner magnolias at both the arboretum and the botanic gardens did not sustain too much damage this year. Look for this one on the south side of Lotus pond. You can also find Loebner magnolia along the stairs near the Japanese Garden at the botanical gardens.  

Cleveland Botanical Garden

Our first pick for the gardens is spring fumewort (Corydalis solida ‘Beth Evans’). Tucked into the courtyard near the Western Reserve Herb Society Garden, these bright pink flowers float above neat tufts of lacy green foliage.  

Keep your eyes peeled for the maroon and yellow petals of Fritillaria michailovskyi (yes, that’s quite a mouthful). Upon first glance, these nodding flowers look like small tulips, but they actually belong to a different genus of bulbs that are native to the mountains of northeastern Turkey. Find them on the corner of the path leading from the Rose Garden into the CK Patrick Perennial Border. 

Finally, the woody star of the week at the gardens is the flowering quince (Chaenomeles x superba ‘Crimson and Gold’) in the Restorative Garden. This unique beauty really stands out among ornamental shrubs with its bright crimson flowers—be sure to seek it out in the next couple of weeks before the flowers fade and begin developing into large, apple-like fruits that will ripen in the fall.  

Another week, another plant that’s poppin’. As we enter the month of April, the peak of spring blooms is just around the corner. Make sure to stay updated to see the highlights and plan out your next trip!