beating forsythia to spring’s flowering-shrub punch: a slideshow of earliest-blooming stars
LOCAL FORSYTHIA opened fully this last week, but even if they hadn’t, I’d already be on my eighth species of spring-flowering shrub, happily surrounded by delicate blossoms, some of which are even fragrant. My best early blooming shrubs you may wish to invite into your home landscape, too, with a slideshow:
Remember: I’m all about the 365-day garden, even here in Zone 5B in the Hudson Valley of New York State, where frost happens in May and again in October. By planting extra-early (and extra-late) showoffs, including shrubs that flower at one extreme end of the season or get fiery foliage or fruit at the other (or maybe have great bark or structure when “naked”), I stretch the season to fill the calendar with visual treats.
The woody-plant bloom schedule begins here in late January to mid-February, weather depending (update: in 2014 it was late March instead!), and by late April look at what has already happened, or is currently under way or about to pop. Follow the green links to the full plant portraits from the archives or another reference:
- Witch-hazel, Hamamelis. Bloomed from late January through early April this year; the most defiant of all shrubs.
- Pussy willows, Salix species. Great range of catkin colors and sizes, appealing to bees and other early pollinators.
- Winter honeysuckle, Lonicera fragrantissima (photo above). A somewhat rangy but easy shrub that blooms extra-early with welcome lemony fragrance from whitish blooms.
- Spicebush, Lindera benzoin and others. Blooms in March and April; wonderful gold fall foliage; small fruit of interest to wildlife.
- Cornelian cherry, Cornus mas (photo below). Blooms throughout April, then produces wildlife-friendly red fruit.
- Winter-hazel, Corylopsis spicata. April bloomer, on a wide, irregular-shaped mostly horizontal shrub with beautiful foliage. Related to Fothergilla and witch-hazel.
- February daphne, Daphne mezereum. Little-grown but very early (usually in the end of March here or first bit of April. Purple or white blooms, very fragrant.
- Leatherwood, Dirca palustris. A native shrub shaped like a miniature tree, with tiny tassled yellow blooms in April. Charming.
Next up:
- Shadbush, Amelanchier
- Spiraea thunbergii ‘Ogon’
- Quince, Chaenomeles
- Koreanspice viburnum, Viburnum carlesii
Bottom-line advice: When you go to the garden center this spring, don’t just bring home what’s in peak form that day. Do your research before shopping, or ask at the garden center to be directed to what was looking good in February or March—or what promises to be fabulous in December. The garden will thank you.
the slideshow of early shrubs
CLICK THE FIRST thumbnail to start the slides, then use your keyboard arrows (or the arrows on each photo) to toggle from image to image.
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- Intermediate witch-hazels in late winter.
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- ‘Jelena’ intermediate witch-hazel.
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- Salix chaenomeloides ‘Mt. Aso’.
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- Giant pussy willow, Salix chaenomeloides.
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- Cornus mas, the Cornelian cherry (a dogwood!).
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- Cornus mas detail.
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- Daphne mezereum (also comes in white, very fragrant).
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- Detail of Dirca palustris, native leatherwood.
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- Dirca is shaped like a miniature tree.
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- Dirca (left) and spicebush, or Lindera.
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- Fragrant Lonicera fragrantissima.
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- Corylopsis spicata.
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- Amelanchier, or shadbush.
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- Corylopsis spicata ‘Aurea,’ the spike winterhazel.
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- Flowering quince.
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- The early, fragrant Viburnum carlesii.
You missed two Rhododendrons: dauricum with white flowers and mucronu;atum. Cornell Pink is the one commonly available, but there is a white form, the “type” and some dwarf seclections. Not to mention the PJM seies from Weston Nurseries
Great list! We have some you mentioned and will add more. Rough winter/early spring in NE Ohio – 5B. None of our Witch Hazel nor our large Cornus Mas shrubs bloomed, the cold took the flowers, but they are beginning to leaf out. The climbing rose canes have died but we see some new growth at the base and saddest of all, the wisteria, which finally has grown the length of our front porch, shows no signs of life. We are weeks behind a usual spring, so we will continue to keep fingers crossed for hopeful signs. BUT, the magnolias and the bulbs are putting on a glorious show and the Viburnum Carlisii is ready to pop. Gardening is a yearly challenge, but well worth the effort.
The spirea is wonderful today! I have white and lavender lilac blooming at the same time now. They do not always appear together in spite of the fact that they share a bed. I lost my dogwood in the drought. I can not wait for the mock orange to show itself. It is an old favorite.
Good one, Tracy — mock orange. I have the gold leaf form and the look and the scent is great!
I miss forsythia. We had them in New York where I grew up. Now I live in California and they don’t grow here. I enjoyed your photos.
I loved in the Sierra foothills for twenty years and everyone had forsythia.
wonderfull slideshow, margaret .. as i’m on the opposite coast to you .. and in british columbia .. i’m always interested and delighted to glimpse what’s happening in gardens in other parts of the planet ..
here, i’m privileged to work in a winter flowering shade garden, which blooms from september through may .. the shrubs include three different witchhazels, two corylopsis, three different daphnes, including mezereum, and a winter flowering cherry .. all in a sea of cyclamen and hellebores .. it’s so wonderfull to have a garden to watch through the winter months ..
so delighted to have discovered your site .. thank you ..
Hi, Jane. I wish we had more winter potential here, but it gets tough until the witch-hazels and pussy willows start up — usually February-ish, but sometimes late March (like this cold year).
Hi, so the first photo is leatherwood? I tried to compare pix from slideshow to it. It’s just stunning. You have such a wonderful garden!
Love the list. When we lived in Westchester county, NY (Montrose), a Dirca palustris came with our garden. It was a wonderful shrub, very unusual. Sadly it was destroyed when a huge branch fell on it in a storm. Now that we’re up here in Woodstock, NY, I’d love to have it again. Any idea where to buy one? I’ve looked and looked but haven’t found a source.
Great list of the earliest shrubs to join the spring parade. I’m a big fan of spirea ‘Ogon” – it blooms early (zone 6 mid April) then yields striking gold color leaves. The small white blooms follow up and down the branches like later blooming Bridal Wreaths….
In fact, the other kinds of spirea are also my favorites …..Their early emerging leaves display beautiful colors before becoming green and the blooms are wonderful; plus some will even rebloom. Tough plant that can tolerate any soil conditions and transplanting…..
Me, too, Nina. I love it — and it starts here in late April usually (might be a week or so late this cold year!). Great plant.
Also, I love when you show close-ups and then the plants in context to their neighbors.
Absolutely gorgeous photos Margaret! What a joy to view.
Valuable list. I’ll keep it on my smart phone for shopping.
BTW, my Shadbush is spectacular this year (5B, Indiana)
Nice to hear from you, Jim. Beautiful time of year, these first beauties, isn’t it?
Some of the best gardening advice I ever received was when planning a garden, design it for winter. I don’t always follow that advice–oops–but I love your selection of early flowering shrubs (especially the Koreanspice Viburnum) and it’s inspiring me to rethink some of my plans for next year. :)
Love them all. I have some but want the rest.
Nice group of shrubs for early interest. We can take this list to the nursery for some ‘shopping’. I like to have structure in the garden, even in the winter, and these will do nicely. Thanks.