Plants in Bloom

Featured Bloom

Beautybush

Kolkwitzia amabilis

Native to China, this deciduous shrub boasts sprays of bell-shaped flowers blossoming from arching stems. Beautybush is a member of the Caprifoliaceae, or honeysuckle family.

May highlights

• Raulston allspice

  Calycanthus raulstonii (Raulston allspice) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Spotted Geranium

  Native to the woodlands of eastern North America, the spotted geranium boasts bright pink, five-petaled flowers that seem to light up the forest floor. The seed capsule produced after flowering resembles the beak of a crane, and is referenced by its other common name, “cranesbill.”

  Geranium maculatum (spotted geranium) in Woodland Garden and Native Flora Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Japanese Wisteria

  Japanese wisteria is a twining, woody vine that grows by twisting around supports like trellises, fences or arbors. Its long, graceful flower racemes usually bloom in early May in New York. Plants can grow aggressively and may live over fifty years.

  Wisteria floribunda (Japanese wisteria) in the Osborne Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Recent Photo

  Lady Banks Rose

  This climbing species rose features an abundance of small, yellow blooms that appear early and only once a year.

  Rosa banksiae f. lutea (lady banks rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Recent Photo

  Dove Tree

  The dove tree, or handkerchief tree—named for the beautiful large white bracts that form around its small purplish flower heads in spring—has been around since the age of the dinosaurs.

  Davidia involucrata (dove tree) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Recent Photo

  Lilac ‘Sensation’

  This scented lilac boasts clusters of bi-color florets. In mid-May, buds open to reveal deep-purple petals edged with white.

  Syringa vulgaris ‘Sensation’ (lilac ‘Sensation’) in the Lilac Collection. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Spanish Bluebell

  These sweet-smelling spring bulbs thrive in a bit of shade and are in bloom for about two weeks. The planting in Bluebell Wood includes 45,000 specimens.

  Hyacinthoides hispanica 'Excelsior' (spanish bluebell) in the Bluebell Wood. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• White Wake-Robin

  Trilliums feature a blossom with three petals sitting atop three leaves. Floral parts also appear in multiples of three. This species is the showiest of the trilliums and is native to the forests of the northeast US and southern Canada.

  Trillium grandiflorum (white wake-robin) in the Native Flora Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Wild Columbine

  Aquilegia canadensis (wild columbine) in the Native Flora Garden and the Overlook. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Eastern Shooting Star

  This native plant has beautiful flowers with reflexed petals that attract bumblebees and other solitary bees. In a process called “buzz pollination,” they grab onto the flowers and vibrate to shake the pollen loose.

  Dodecatheon meadia (eastern shooting star) in the Native Flora Garden and the Overlook. Photo: Steven N. Severinghaus.

• Azalea

  The azalea display in the Osborne Garden was originally designed by noted landscape architect Alice Recknagel Ireys in 1947, and incorporated more than 1,200 specimens given by Garden donor Sade Elizabeth Osborne from her personal collection.

  Rhododenron cultivar (azalea cultivar) in the Osborne Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Moss Phlox

  Phlox subulata (moss phlox) in the Native Flora Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Bleeding Heart

  Once thought to be in the same genus as wild bleeding heart, a North American native, this Asian species blooms a little later and its pendant-like flowers have a more distinct heart shape.

  Lamprocapnos spectabilis (bleeding heart) in the Washington Avenue Border. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Myrtle Spurge

  Euphorbia myrsinites (Myrtle Spurge) in the Rock Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Witch-Alder

  Fothergilla × intermedia MAY BOUQUET = 'Klmsixteen' (witch-alder) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Sarah Schmidt.

• Flowering Dogwood

  The flowers of this beautiful native tree are actually the small inconspicuous green structures. The showy white bracts surrounding them are modified leaves.

  Cornus florida (flowering dogwood) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Steven N. Severinghaus.

• Persian Fritillary

  Fritillaria persica (Persian fritillary) in the Fragrance Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Judd Viburnum

  Viburnum × juddii (Judd viburnum) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Heart Leaved Groundsel

  This native wildflower is a member of the Asteraceae, or aster family, and is one of the first to bloom. Its yellow flowers attract butterflies and bees.

  Packera aurea (heart leaved groundsel) in the Native Flora Garden. Photo: Steven N. Severinghaus.

• Mayapple

  The white, apple-blossom-like flowers of the mayapple appear in the axils, beneath the leaves.

  Podophyllum peltatum (mayapple) in the Native Flora Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Weigela

  Weigela hortensis (weigela) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Snake’s-Head Fritillary

  This bulbous perennial is easily recognized by its distinct checkered pattern, which likens to snakeskin or the spots of a guinea fowl. Snake’s-head fritillary attracts bees, and is a member of the Liliaceae, or lily family.

  Fritillaria meleagris (snake's-head fritillary) in the Shakespeare Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Yellow Trout-Lily

  This native spring ephemeral blooms in woodlands, soaking up the sunlight before the canopy trees leaf out. Yellow trout-lilies boast distinctive curled petals and mottled leaves.

  Erythronium americanum (yellow trout-lily) in the Native Flora Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Kanzan Cherry

  The double blossoms of this cultivar were bred to have up to 28 petals each. (Cherry blossoms naturally have five petals.) Among the last to bloom, 'Kanzan' represents the finale of cherry blossom season.

  Prunus ‘Kanzan’ (Kanzan cherry) in the Cherry Esplanade. Photo: Rebecca Bullene.

• Eastern Redbud

  This native understory tree produces lovely dark pink buds. Its flowers bloom in clusters along bare branches, before heart-shaped leaves appear in summer.

  Cercis canadensis (Eastern redbud) in the Discovery Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Rose ‘Roter Korsar’

  Rosa ‘Roter Korsar’ (shrub rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Lilac ‘Léon Gambetta’

  One of the lilacs bred by famed early 20th-century French breeder Victor Lemoine, known for his double-flowered hybrids. These have two layers of petals on each floret, giving the blossoms a distinctly fuller look.

  Syringa vulgaris ‘Léon Gambetta’ (lilac ‘Léon Gambetta’) in the Lilac Collection. Photo: Sarah Schmidt.

• Sunshine Daydream Rose

  This large-flowered, butter-yellow grandiflora rose blooms repeatedly throughout the season.

  Rosa ‘Sunshine Dream’ (sunshine daydream rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Shrub Rose

  Developed by famed English breeder David Austin, the ‘Pat Austin’ hybrid has an unusually bright and warm-toned color for a rose.

  Rosa ‘Ausmum’ PAT AUSTIN (shrub rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Large-Flowered Climbing Rose

  Rosa ‘Climbing American Beauty’ (large-flowered climbing rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Sarah Schmidt.

• Siberian Iris

  Iris sibirica 'Caesar's Brother' (Siberian iris) in the Water Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Kaempferi Azalea

  Rhododendron 'Louise' (kaempferi azalea) in the Rock Garden. Photo: Elizabeth Peters.

• Red Horse Chestnut

  Aesculus × carnea (red horse chestnut) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Recent Photo

  Beautybush

  Native to China, this deciduous shrub boasts sprays of bell-shaped flowers blossoming from arching stems. Beautybush is a member of the Caprifoliaceae, or honeysuckle family.

  Kolkwitzia amabilis (beautybush) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Kentucky Yellowwood

  One of the Garden’s oldest trees, the sprawling yellowwood blooms spectacularly every two to four years. White, fragrant panicles cover the tree, evoking white rain.

  Cladrastis kentukea (Kentucky yellowwood) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• ‘Surf Rider’ Shrub Rose

  This lovely shrub rose hybrid blooms repeatedly starting in late spring. Later it is among the fall blooms that contribute to the second flush.

  Rosa ‘Surf Rider’ (shrub rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Avens

  This sun-loving perennial is related to strawberries and produces colorful blooms in late spring, through summer.

  Geum ‘Totally Tangerine’ PBR (avens) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Steven N. Severinghaus.

• Japanese Snowball

  This shrub produces extravagant white flower clusters starting in late spring. It's easy to see where it got its common name.

  Viburnum plicatum f. plicatum (Japanese snowball) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Steven N. Severinghaus.

• Burnet Rose

  One of the earliest roses to bloom, the burnet rose has single, white blossoms, a mild sweet scent, and very prickly stems. It's a naturally occurring species, from which many hybrids were developed.

  Rosa spinosissima (burnet rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.

• Fringe Tree

  Chionanthus virginicus (fringe tree) in the Discovery Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Japanese Tree Peony

  Native to the rocky slopes of the Himalayas, these plants were brought to Japan where they were bred and selected for larger flowers and intense colors. The ‘Shimanishiki’ cultivar’s bright right red flowers have unusual white striping on the petals. No two have the same pattern.

  Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Shimanishiki’ (Japanese tree peony) in the Tree Peony Collection. Photo: Morrigan McCarthy.

• Japanese Tree Peony

  ‘Shimane Sedai’ is just one of the gorgeous, fragrant Japanese tree peonies in the collection. These woody-stemmed cultivars have larger blossoms and bloom a bit earlier than herbaceous peonies, which are located in the Perennial Border and the Shakespeare Garden.

  Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Shimane Sedai’ (tree peony cultivar) in the Tree Peony Collection. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Ghent Azalea

  One of a group of deciduous azaleas bred in Ghent, Belgium in the early 1800s, the ‘Raphael de Smet’ hybrid has lovely pink flowers that bloom in late spring.

  Rhododendron ‘Raphael de Smet’ (Ghent azalea) in the Woodland Shade Garden. Photo: Steven N. Severinghaus.

• Japanese Tree Peony

  ‘Tama Usagi’ has giant, double-flowered blossoms of pure white. The tree peony collection was given to the Garden in 2002 by the city of Yatsuka-Cho in Japan as a memorial to the victims of the September 11 attacks.

  Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Tama Usagi’ (Japanese tree peony) in the Tree Peony Collection. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Magnolia ‘Lois’

  One of the yellow magnolias bred by Brooklyn Botanic Garden, ‘Lois’ has deep yellow flowers which, like most later-blooming magnolias, emerge along with or after its leaves.

  Magnolia ‘Lois’ (magnolia ‘Lois’) on Magnolia Plaza, Eastern Parkway, and the Discovery Garden. Photo: Steven N. Severinghaus.

• Lettuce

  Lactuca sativa cultivars (lettuce) in the Herb Garden. Photo: Elizabeth Peters.

• Allium

  Some onion varieties are grown as ornamental plants thanks to their large, spherical umbels of flowers.

  Allium sp. (allium) in the Children's Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Lilac ‘Vauban’

  Bred by legendary French lilac breeder Victor Lemoine in 1913, the pink ‘Vauban’ lilac is among the early blooming hybrids in the Garden’s collection.

  Syringa x hyacinthiflora ‘Vauban’ (lilac) in the Lilac Collection. Photo: Sarah Schmidt.

• Dutchman’s Breeches

  These dainty white flowers hang like charms on a bracelet and resemble tiny pantaloons. The outer petals form the "legs." Two inner petals surround the stamens and pistil, allowing only the largest long-tongued bees access.

  Dicentra cucullaria (dutchman's breeches) in the Native Flora Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Crabapple

  Sometimes called the redbud crabapple, Malus zumi’s dark pink buds blossom into fragrant flowers that fade from pink to white.

  Malus zumi (crabapple) in the Osborne Garden. Photo: Steven N. Severinghaus.

• Ginkgo

  Ginkgos are dioecious, meaning they produce pollen and seeds on separate trees. Here you can see the pollen cones on a male tree among its young leaves.

  Ginkgo biloba (ginkgo). Photo: Steven N. Severinghaus.

• Sundial Lupine

  This blue-flowered native plant is a member of the bean family. It flourishes after fires and can sometimes be found along roadsides in disturbed areas under power lines in the wild. At the Garden, it can be found in the Native Flora Garden.

  Lupinus perennis (sundial lupine) in the Native Flora Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Crabapple

  Crabapples are in the same genus as apples, and most blossom in late April and early May, like the ‘Sugar Tyme’ crabapple trees in the Osborne Garden, which produce lovely, fragrant white flowers.

  Malus ‘Sugar Tyme’ (Crabapple) in the Osborne Garden. Photo: Steven N. Severinghaus.

• Prunus serrulata ‘Horinji’

  The Prunus serrulata cultivars, like the profusely flowering ‘Horinji’, are among the last cherry blossoms to hit peak bloom before the famous ‘Kanzan.’ Its dark pink buds open to semidouble flowers with soft white or pale pink petals set against rich pinkish-purple outer petals.

  Prunus serrulata ‘Horinji’ (Japanese flowering cherry) in the Cherry Walk & Cultivar Collection. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Pansies

  One of the most popular garden annuals, pansies are early spring bloomers. This multicolored hybrid is named after the morpho butterflies, which the flowers resemble.

  Viola wittrockiana ‘Ultima Morpho’ (pansies) in the Shakespeare Garden. Photo: Elizabeth Peters.

• Hybrid Spinosissima Rose

  Rosa 'Frühlingsschnee' (Hybrid Spinosissima Rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Sarah Schmidt.

• Tree Peony

  Paeonia suffruticosa 'Saho Hime' (tree peony) in the Tree Peony Collection. Photo: Rebecca Bullene.

• Virginia Bluebell

  This native spring ephemeral blooms a bit earlier than its Spanish counterpart. Flowers appear pink while in bud and then become blue as they open.

  Mertensia virginica (Virginia bluebells) in the Cherry Walk & Cultivar Collection. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Blue False Indigo

  Baptisia australis (blue false indigo) in the Discovery Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Thread-leaf Bluestar

  Amsonia hubrichtii (thread-leaf bluestar) in the Discovery Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Catmint

  Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' (catmint) in the Fragrance Garden. Photo: Alvina Lai.

• Magnolia × brooklynensis ‘Yellow Bird’

  One of Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s famous yellow-flowered magnolias, the ‘Yellow Bird’ hybrid was introduced in 1981. Like the other BBG hybrids, this one blooms later in the season than most of the collection, and blossoms appear along with the leaves.

  Magnolia × brooklynensis ‘Yellow Bird’ (magnolia hybrid) in the Magnolia Plaza. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Prunus serrulata ‘Shirotae’

  The name of this double-flowered cherry means “snow white.”; it is sometimes also referred to as ‘Mount Fuji’. The tree’s pink-tinted buds open to clusters of dazzling white, fragrant flowers.

  Prunus serrulata ‘Shirotae’ in the Cherry Cultivars Area and Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

• Willow Bell

  Campanula persicifolia 'Telham Beauty' (willow bell) in the Discovery Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

See photos from other times of year.

January February March April

May June July August

September October November December