Plants in Bloom
June highlights
-
Queen-of-the-Prairie
The spectacular, fuzzy pink flowers of this native prairie plant sit atop tall stems, rising above surrounding plants. They have a light, lilac-like fragrance.
Filipendula rubra (queen-of-the-prairie) in the Water Garden and Plant Family Collection. Photo: Blanca Begert.
-
Southern Catalpa
The flowers of this native tree look pure white from a distance, but up close, the purple and gold nectar guides can be seen. These markings help draw in bees during the day. At night, months are attracted to the white color and stronger fragrance.
Catalpa bignonioides (southern catalpa) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Steven N. Severinghaus.
-
California Poppy
Eschscholzia californica (California poppy) in the Rock Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.
-
Black-Eyed Susan
This native wildflower blooms in summer and into early fall and attracts butterflies and bees of all kinds.
Rudbeckia hirta (black-eyed Susan) in the Overlook. Photo: Michael Stewart.
-
Knotweed
Persicaria polymorpha (knotweed) in the Water Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.
-
Pseudata Iris
Iris ‘Kuragawa Noh’ (pseudata iris) in the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden. Photo: Steven N. Severinghaus.
-
California Poppy ‘Apricot Chiffon’
This California poppy’s cup-shaped, semi-double flowers begin blooming in early summer. Petals are toned with streaks of light pink and orange, with a texture reminiscent of crepe paper.
Eschscholzia californica ‘Apricot Chiffon’ (California poppy) in the Discovery Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.
-
Scotch Thistle
This spiny biennial, native to Europe and western Asia, can grow above six feet tall. Purple nectar-rich disk flowers attract bees and other insect pollinators.
Onopordum acanthium (Scotch thistle) in the Shakespeare Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.
-
Pale Purple Coneflower
A member of the Asteraceae, or aster family, this native herbaceous perennial attracts butterflies and bees. Its genus name comes from “echinos,” the Greek word for hedgehog, in reference to its prickly seed head.
Echinacea pallida (pale purple coneflower) in the Water Garden, Visitor Center, and Discovery Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.
-
Dyers’ Tickseed
This annual boasts bright yellow and maroon flowers that bloom alongside wispy, lace-like foliage. A member of the Asteraceae, or daisy family, dyers' tickseed attracts insect pollinators as well as granivorous birds.
Coreopsis tinctoria (dyers' tickseed) in the Water Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.
-
‘Cubana’ Shrub Rose
This lovely apricot-colored, repeat-blooming rose blooms in June and again later, usually along with the second flush of blossoms in September.
Rosa ‘Cubana’ (shrub rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.
-
Japanese Hydrangea Vine ‘Moonlight’
Schizophragma hydrangeoides (Japanese hydrangea vine) in the Woodland Shade Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.
-
Large-Flowered Climber Rose
This hybrid wichurana rose boasts pale apricot-colored flowers blooming on canes that can measure 10 to 20 feet in length. You can find this climbing rose scrambling up the pavilion of the Rose Garden, framing one of the viewing windows.
Rosa ‘Auguste Gervais’ (large-flowered climber rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.
-
Mountain Laurel
This native shrub produces exquisite clusters of delicate, fused-petal blossoms that resemble tiny origami rice bowls.
Kalmia latifolia (mountain laurel) in the Discovery Garden. Photo: Lee Patrick.
-
Milky Bellflower
Native to western Asia, this summer-blooming herbaceous perennial attracts bees and other insect pollinators. The specific epithet lactiflora is Latin for “milk-white flowers.”
Campanula lactiflora (milky bellflower) in the Water Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.
-
Valerian
Valerian officinalis (valerian) in the Shakespeare Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.
-
‘Foxy’ Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea ‘Foxy’ (foxglove) in the Shakespeare Garden. Photo: Alvina Lai.
-
Floribunda Rose
Large, lush cup-shaped flowers adorn this floribunda shrub rose. This double-petaled rose blooms repeatedly from early summer through fall.
Rosa Poseidon = ‘Korfriedhar’ (floribunda rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.
-
Rocky Mountain Columbine
This western North American native has beautiful blue and white flowers that bloom in late spring and attract butterflies.
Aquilegia caerulea (Colorado blue columbine) in the Perennial Border. Photo: Lee Patrick.
-
White Evening Primrose
You can find this evening primrose, with its gently nodding cup-shaped blossoms, in the Rock Garden near the edge of the pond. This herbaceous perennial is originally native to the grasslands of the midwest and southwest United States.
Oenothera speciosa ‘Rosea’ (white evening primrose) in the Rock Garden. 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.
-
Dogwood ‘Elizabeth Lustgarten’
Pointed white bracts adorn cascading branches on this long-blooming dogwood. Its flowers mature into berries in fall.
Cornus kousa ‘Elizabeth Lustgarten’ (dogwood ‘Elizabeth Lustgarten’) in the Children's Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.
-
Blue False Indigo
Baptisia australis (blue false indigo) in the Discovery Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.
-
Tall Bearded Iris
Blooming in late spring, this tall, herbaceous perennial boasts large purple-blue flowers. Tufts of hairs are present on the sepals, which provide a landing place for insect pollinators.
Iris ‘Breakers’ (tall bearded iris) in the Shakespeare Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.
-
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.
-
Dogwood Venus (‘Kn30 8’)
This hybrid, boasting large blooms of white, iridescent bracts, was introduced by Rutgers University’s dogwood breeding program under Dr. Elwin Orton.
Cornus × elwinortonii ‘Venus‘ = 'Kn30 8' (PBR) (Jersey Star Series) (dogwood Venus (‘Kn30 8’)) in the Osborne Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.
-
Flame Azalea
Bumble bees are attracted to the flame azalea’s funnel-shaped flowers, which bloom in a mix of yellow, orange, and red. This deciduous shrub is a member of the Ericaceae, or heath family.
Rhododendron calendulaceum (flame azalea) in the Native Flora Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.
-
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.
-
Corn Poppy
Papaver rhoeas (corn poppy) in the Herb Garden. Photo: Lee Patrick.
-
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: Michael Stewart.
-
Wild Strawberries
Fragaria virginiana (wild strawberry) in the Herb Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.
-
Black Stem Bigleaf Hydrangea
The large, showy summer flowers of hydrangeas make them a popular garden plant. The bloom color of some species is influenced by soil pH. More acidic soil will produce bluer flowers, while more alkaline soil will produce pinker ones.
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Nigra’ (black stem bigleaf hydrangea) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Blanca Begert.
-
Shrub Rose
This hybrid from the famed German breeder W. Kordes & Sons blooms repeatedly in June, producing clusters of small, raspberry-colored blooms.
Rosa Gärtnerfreude = ‘Korstesgli’ (shrub rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.
-
Sweetbay
This native magnolia species has creamy white flowers that bloom in late spring, sometimes into summer.
Magnolia virginiana (sweetbay) in the Native Flora Garden. Photo: Steven N. Severinghaus.
-
Hybrid Wichurana Rose
Introduced in 1899, this large-flowered, creamy-yellow rambling rose was named after its very sweet fragrance.
Rosa ‘Gardenia’ (hybrid wichurana rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Michael Stewart.
-
‘Tamora’ Shrub Rose
Rosa ‘Tamora’ (shrub rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Alvina Lai.
-
Rose ‘Roter Korsar’
Rosa ‘Roter Korsar’ (shrub rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.
-
Prickly-Pear
Optuntia species (prickly-pear) in the Rock Garden, Overlook, and Native Flora Garden. Photo: Steven N. Severinghaus.
-
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.
-
Rose
Rosa ‘George Burns’ (rose cultivar) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Rebecca Bullene.
-
Hybrid Tea Rose
A classic hybrid tea rose with a large, single bloom at the end of a long stem and a sweet fragrance, this pink cultivar was named after the Nobel-prize winning French poet.
Rosa 'Meitebros' FRÉDÉRIC MISTRAL (hybrid tea rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Jean-Marc Grambert.
-
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.
-
Flaming Peace Rose
The original Peace rose was cultivated in France before World War II and was given its name in 1945 to signify hope for lasting peace. ‘Flaming Peace’ was bred in 1966 and is one of several Peace hybrids developed from the original.
Rosa ‘Flaming Peace’ (Flaming Peace Rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Rebecca Bullene.
-
Siberian Iris
Iris sibirica 'Caesar's Brother' (Siberian iris) in the Water Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.
-
Bottlebrush Buckeye
The fluffy white flower clusters of this native shrub appear in summer and really do resemble their namesake.
Aesculus parviflora (bottlebrush buckeye) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Blanca Begert.
-
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.
-
Breadseed Poppy
This is the poppy species from which opium and culinary poppy seeds come, though ornamental cultivars are bred for vivid flowers rather than seed production.
Papaver somniferum 'The Giant' (breadseed poppy) in the Shakespeare Garden. Photo: Jennifer Williams.
-
Hybrid Spinosissima Rose
Rosa 'Frühlingsschnee' (Hybrid Spinosissima Rose) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Sarah Schmidt.
-
Catmint
Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' (catmint) in the Fragrance Garden and Perennial Border. Photo: Alvina Lai.
-
Plantain Lily
Hosta 'Blue Wedgewood' (plantain lily) in the Shakespeare Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.
-
Pinkflower Hedgehog Cactus
Echinocereus fendleri ssp. fendleri (hedgehog cactus) in the Rock Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.
-
Black Elder
Sambucus nigra ‘Eva’ (black elder) in the Rose Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.
-
Tulip Tree
Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree) near Celebrity Path. Photo: Blanca Begert.
-
Deutzia
Deutzia scabra (deutzia) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Blanca Begert.
-
Willow Bell
Campanula persicifolia 'Telham Beauty' (willow bell) in the Discovery Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.
-
Sacred Lotus
Sacred lotuses are in bloom once again in the Lily Pools. Brand-new plantings of both lotuses and water-lilies were added this year. The plants look similar, but lotus leaves tend to stretch above the surface (instead of floating). Lotuses also have a large round seedpod inside.
Nelumbo nucifera ‘Momo Botan’ (sacred lotus) blooming on Lily Pool Terrace. Photo: Michael Stewart.
