Asheville in Bloom

13 Apr Asheville in Bloom

Spring is officially here, and we’re loving it. Spring means warmer weather, longer days, and more time for hiking, biking, and just hanging out outdoors. It means new beginnings – new projects, new clients, a new busy season. But one of the things I particularly love about spring is watching the plants and trees come back to life.

Sure, fall has leaf-peeping season, which is truly glorious. But it all happens pretty much at once, and if you’re not here at the right time, you can miss it. Spring, however, is different. It’s a slow progression that happens in small bursts, in the same pattern each year. I always find a great deal of enjoyment in knowing the blooming schedule, and waiting to see the new bursts of color appear – almost like old friends returning after a long absence.

Asheville is very biodiverse, and has a wide range of native flowers. It also one of the longest wildflower blooming seasons in the country. So, there are plenty of blooms to enjoy throughout spring, whether you’re sightseeing in the Blue Ridge Mountains, or looking out onto your own backyard.

March

The first spring bursts of color come from those beloved classics – daffodils, dandelions, irises, buttercups, and yellow violets. Then, of course, you have the more delicate, less showy, but equally beautiful March blooms like spring beauty, Dutchman’s breeches and ruby giant. Some of these flowers are common along roadsides and in fields, and add a flush of beautiful color to otherwise wintry landscape. Depending on the weather in any given year, some March flowers bloom through April, and some bloom well into May, or even June.

April

Redbuds and dogwoods are among the best-known trees to blossom in spring. Many varieties begin blooming in April sometimes in late April, or even early May. The deep pinkish-purple flowers of redbuds add a lot of cheer and beauty to a landscape that’s still somewhat bereft of color. And those pink and white dogwood blossoms are an iconic Southern treasure that appears in woodlands, along highways, and in gardens every year as a welcome sign of spring.

April is the time to look out for that showiest of showy classics – the tulip. It’s also the time to welcome delicate princess tree blossoms, charming pink and yellow ladyslippers, classic pinkshell azaleas, fiery Indian paintbrushes, and the ever-exquisite Solomon’s seal.

May

April showers bring May flowers, as they say! In Asheville, May-blooming flowers include vibrant flame azaleas, soft, cottony wild cherry blossoms, and cheerful wild geraniums. May also brings the ever-romantic japonica and those sweet, small crabapple blossoms. But the real favorites are the graceful mountain laurel and that stately, elegant, and fragrant Southern icon – the magnolia.

June

June is a fantastic time to see spring flowers. Many earlier bloomers are still around, plus, you have the fire-pink, the ox-eyed daisy, the sundrop, and the Gray’s lily on display. Exquisitely-colored columbines make an appearance in June, as do pillowy turkey beards. However, the real June showstoppers are the pink and white rhododendrons, which adorn the mountain slopes – most notably those of Grandfather Mountain.

I highly recommend heading out to the Asheville mountain area to see all of these wildflowers in bloom. However, if you have a passion for spring blossoms, you needn’t go farther than your own backyard. We can design a native plant garden for you that will greet you each spring with an abundance of color and life. You’ll never have to miss seeing your favorite blossoms, and you can enjoy them anytime you like.