Early Spring

What Blooms in March

62 plants

March is when the garden wakes up and everyone gets giddy. Forsythia explodes yellow before a single leaf appears. Daffodils refuse to apologize for their brightness. Virginia bluebells colonize river bottoms and woodland gardens in drifts that look dreamlike from a distance. The season moves fast this month. What blooms Monday can be gone by Saturday. Pay attention.

Year-round bloom calendar

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JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
DaffodilBulbMar-May
Daffodil
Cheerful trumpets that naturalize beautifully and return stronger each year.
Z3-10
HelleborePerennialJan-Apr
Hellebore
The Lenten Rose. Elegant nodding blooms that thrive in deep shade.
Z3-10
Ice Follies DaffodilBulbMar-Apr
Ice Follies Daffodil
White petals frame a wide, ruffled cup that opens yellow and fades to cream. Multiplies fast.
Z3-9
King Alfred DaffodilBulbMar-Apr
King Alfred Daffodil
The classic golden trumpet daffodil. Naturalizes into massive sweeps that return for decades.
Z3-9
Mount Hood DaffodilBulbMar-Apr
Mount Hood Daffodil
Large pure white trumpets that age from cream to bright white. The classic white daffodil for naturalizing under trees.
Z3-9
Pink Charm DaffodilBulbMar-Apr
Pink Charm Daffodil
White petals around a creamy cup banded in coral pink. The most reliable pink daffodil for borders and naturalizing.
Z3-9
Tete-a-Tete DaffodilBulbFeb-Apr
Tete-a-Tete Daffodil
Miniature golden trumpets, two to three per stem, on a tiny plant. The earliest daffodil and the best one for containers and the front of the bed.
Z3-9
Anna's Red HelleborePerennialJan-Apr
Anna's Red Hellebore
Wine-red outward-facing blooms above silver-marbled foliage. Bred to face the viewer, not the ground, like older hellebores do.
Z4-9
Apricot Beauty TulipBulbMar-Apr
Apricot Beauty Tulip
Soft salmon-apricot single early blooms with a delicate sweet fragrance. One of the first tulips to flower in spring.
Z3-8
BergeniaPerennialMar-Apr
Bergenia
Bold rubbery leaves provide year-round structure and turn burgundy in winter. Early pink flowers arrive with the hellebores.
Z3-8
California PoppyAnnualMar-Sep
California Poppy
Golden cups that carpet hillsides across the state. Closes at night and on cloudy days.
Z5-10
CrocusBulbFeb-Apr
Crocus
One of the first signs of spring, pushing through snow with jewel-toned cups.
Z3-8
Dutchman's BreechesPerennialMar-May
Dutchman's Breeches
Finely cut foliage and clusters of puffy white pantaloon-shaped flowers in early spring. A charming ephemeral that disappears by summer.
Z3-8
Eastern RedbudTreeMar-Apr
Eastern Redbud
Magenta flowers erupt directly from bare branches. Spring showstopper tree.
Z4-9
ForsythiaShrubMar-Apr
Forsythia
A wall of golden yellow on bare branches. Spring's loudest announcement.
Z3-8
Glory-of-the-SnowBulbMar-Apr
Glory-of-the-Snow
Star-shaped blooms that appear as snow melts. Naturalizes into drifts.
Z3-8
Grape HyacinthBulbMar-May
Grape Hyacinth
Tiny grape-like clusters that spread into rivers of blue over time.
Z3-8
HyacinthBulbMar-Apr
Hyacinth
Dense, intensely fragrant spikes. One bulb can perfume an entire room.
Z3-8
Ivory Prince HelleborePerennialJan-Apr
Ivory Prince Hellebore
Outward-facing ivory blooms blushed with pink and chartreuse. Compact, tidy, and one of the longest-blooming hellebores in the catalog.
Z4-9
Lenten RosePerennialFeb-Apr
Lenten Rose
Nodding flowers in late winter when nothing else is blooming. Evergreen foliage adds year-round structure to shade gardens.
Z4-9
LungwortPerennialMar-May
Lungwort
Flowers open pink and turn blue on the same stem. Silver-spotted foliage looks great all season.
Z3-8
Onyx Odyssey HelleborePerennialFeb-Apr
Onyx Odyssey Hellebore
Fully double black-purple blooms that look almost theatrical. The darkest hellebore available, and worth the hunt to find one.
Z4-9
Penny's Pink HelleborePerennialJan-Apr
Penny's Pink Hellebore
Outward-facing rose-pink blooms with veined petals, held above marbled foliage. One of the showiest hellebores ever bred.
Z4-9
ScillaBulbMar-Apr
Scilla
Carpets of brilliant blue that naturalize under trees with zero effort.
Z3-8
SnowdropBulbJan-Mar
Snowdrop
Delicate nodding bells that bloom fearlessly in late winter cold.
Z3-8
SpicebushShrubMar-Apr
Spicebush
Clusters of tiny yellow flowers appear on bare branches in early spring on a fragrant native shrub with blazing yellow fall color.
Z4-9
TulipBulbMar-May
Tulip
The classic spring icon in almost every color imaginable.
Z3-8
Virginia BluebellPerennialMar-May
Virginia Bluebell
Woodland ephemeral with sky-blue bells. Disappears by summer, returns faithfully.
Z3-8
Winter AconiteBulbFeb-Mar
Winter Aconite
Buttercup-yellow blooms that push through frozen ground before the crocuses.
Z3-8
Witch HazelShrubJan-Mar
Witch Hazel
Spidery, fragrant blooms on bare branches when nothing else dares.
Z3-8
Callery PearTreeMar-Apr
Callery Pear
Masses of white flowers in early spring on a tough, adaptable urban tree.
Z5-9
Desert MarigoldPerennialMar-Oct
Desert Marigold
Cheerful desert wildflower that blooms almost year-round in warm climates. Thrives on neglect.
Z7-11
Fawn LilyBulbMar-May
Fawn Lily
Mottled leaves and nodding white flowers with swept-back petals emerge in early spring from Pacific Northwest woodlands.
Z4-8
MagnoliaTreeMar-May
Magnolia
Goblet-shaped blooms on bare branches. One of spring's most dramatic moments.
Z5-9
Oregon GrapeShrubMar-Apr
Oregon Grape
Holly-like evergreen with yellow flower clusters followed by blue berries. Tough, shade-loving native.
Z5-9
PeachTreeMar-Apr
Peach
Early spring pink blossoms smother the branches before juicy peaches develop.
Z5-9
Piedmont AzaleaShrubMar-Apr
Piedmont Azalea
Fragrant pale pink to white flowers open before the leaves in early spring, filling lowland forests with sweetness.
Z5-9
ServiceberryTreeMar-Apr
Serviceberry
White spring clouds, edible berries, and blazing fall color. Four-season native tree that deserves more attention.
Z4-8
Anemone de CaenBulbMar-May
Anemone de Caen
Poppy-like flowers in jewel tones bloom in mid-spring over ferny foliage.
Z7-10
Arnold Promise Witch HazelTreeFeb-Mar
Arnold Promise Witch Hazel
Spidery yellow flowers with sweet fragrance on bare branches in late winter. The earliest tree to bloom.
Z5-8
Chinese Witch HazelShrubJan-Mar
Chinese Witch Hazel
Spidery yellow, sweetly scented flowers bloom on bare branches in late winter.
Z5-8
DrabaPerennialMar-Apr
Draba
Tiny alpine cushion plant smothered in bright yellow flowers in early spring. Perfect miniature scale.
Z4-7
Green-and-GoldPerennialMar-Jun
Green-and-Gold
Bright yellow star flowers appear for months above mat-forming foliage. The best spring ground cover for the Southeast.
Z5-8
JasmineVineMar-Aug
Jasmine
A vigorous twining vine with intensely sweet-scented white or yellow star-shaped flowers, the scent of warm southern evenings.
Z7-10
ManzanitaShrubJan-Mar
Manzanita
Smooth red bark with urn-shaped flowers that feed hummingbirds in late winter. Sculptural beauty.
Z7-10
Persian ButtercupBulbMar-May
Persian Buttercup
Ruffled, rose-like blooms in vivid colors brighten cool spring beds and pots.
Z8-11
PierisShrubMar-Apr
Pieris
Chains of lily-of-the-valley flowers dangle over colorful new growth. Year-round structure for shady borders.
Z5-8
Red Flowering CurrantShrubMar-Apr
Red Flowering Currant
Among the first shrubs to bloom in Pacific Northwest gardens, dripping with rosy-pink racemes that hummingbirds arrive for before anything else has opened.
Z6-9
Sweet OliveShrubMar-Nov
Sweet Olive
Small clustered flowers perfume the garden with an apricot-like scent over a long season.
Z8-11
Yoshino CherryTreeMar-Apr
Yoshino Cherry
Clouds of pale blossoms cover the tree in early spring, later followed by small bird-edible cherries.
Z5-8
BougainvilleaVineMar-Nov
Bougainvillea
Explosive cascades of papery magenta, hot pink, or coral bracts that smother walls, fences, and pergolas with nonstop color from spring through fall in zones 9 to 11.
Z9-11
California LilacShrubMar-May
California Lilac
Electric blue flower clusters on an evergreen California native. Hummingbird and bee magnet.
Z8-10
CamelliaShrubJan-Dec
Camellia
Glossy evergreen with rose-like blooms in the depths of winter.
Z7-9
Cape HoneysuckleShrubJan-Nov
Cape Honeysuckle
Clusters of vivid orange-red trumpets bloom from fall through spring. Evergreen in mild climates and a hummingbird magnet in every month it flowers.
Z9-11
Carolina JessamineVineFeb-Apr
Carolina Jessamine
One of the first vines to bloom each year, smothering itself in fragrant bright yellow tubes in late winter and early spring.
Z7-9
Coral AloePerennialFeb-Apr
Coral Aloe
Flat coral-orange rosettes produce vivid flower stalks in late winter. One of the hardiest aloes.
Z9-11
Gulf Coast PenstemonPerennialMar-May
Gulf Coast Penstemon
Nodding tubular flowers in soft lavender shades brighten moist woods of the Gulf Coast.
Z7-9
Hawaiian HibiscusShrubMar-Nov
Hawaiian Hibiscus
Large tropical blooms in vivid colors appear repeatedly from spring through fall.
Z9-11
Meyer LemonShrubJan-Dec
Meyer Lemon
Sweetly scented white blossoms appear intermittently year-round and set thin-skinned lemons.
Z9-11
RosemaryPerennialMar-May
Rosemary
Aromatic evergreen herb with tiny blue flowers loved by early bees. Needs excellent drainage.
Z8-10
Winter DaphneShrubFeb-Mar
Winter Daphne
Clusters of pink buds open to white, intensely scented blooms in late winter.
Z7-9
Bird of ParadisePerennialMar-Dec
Bird of Paradise
Sculptural, crane-like flowers in orange and blue. Unmistakable.
Z9-10

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