Plants in Bloom

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.

Papaver rhoeas (corn poppy) in the Herb Garden. Photo: Lee Patrick.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Native to China, this deciduous tree boasts clusters of trumpet-shaped, pink-spotted flowers that bloom alongside ovate leaves. Flowers mature into long, slender seed pods that eventually split open and drop to the ground.

Catalpa bungei (manchurian catalpa) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Michael Stewart.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Trilliums feature a blossom with three petals sitting atop three leaves. Floral parts also appear in multiples of three. This species, native to the forests of the northeast U.S. and southern Canada, is a good choice for woodland gardens.

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

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

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.

Azaleas have long been a popular ornamental plant, with bright tubular flowers and scented displays that vary across thousands of cultivars. The azalea display in the Osborne Garden was originally designed by landscape architect Alice Recknagel Ireys in 1947.

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

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

Lamprocapnos spectabilis (bleeding-heart) in the Plant Family Collection. Photo: Blanca Begert.

A succulent perennial with spiraling leaves, Euphorbia myrsinites produces delicate yellow-green flowers in the spring.

Euphorbia myrsinites (donkey-tail spurge ) in the Rock Garden. Photo: Blanca Begert.

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

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.

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.

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

Snake’s-head fritillary is a member of the lily family. This bulbous perennial is easily recognized by its distinct checkered pattern, which resembles snakeskin.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

‘Shimane-sedai’ is just one of the gorgeous and fragrant Japanese tree peonies at the Garden. These woody-stemmed cultivars have larger blossoms and bloom a bit earlier than herbaceous peonies.

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

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.

‘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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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) in the Overlook. Photo: Steven N. Severinghaus.

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.

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

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.

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

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 ‘Yellow Bird’) in the Magnolia Plaza. Photo: Blanca Begert.

The name of this double-flowered cherry means “snow white.” The tree’s pink-tinted buds open to clusters of dazzling white, fragrant flowers.

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

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