Many factors affect when – and for how long – plants will bloom. At Bellefontaine Cemetery & Arboretum, we have wonderful collections of seasonally attractive plant species, but pinning down their exact bloom-time can be vary greatly depending on temperature, day length, rainfall, and cultural practices. For instance, our 200,000+ daffodils depend on the warming of the soil in late winter and early spring to emerge and subsequently bloom. Other plants, like our deciduous native azaleas, depend on the change in day length to activate blooming. Day length is a more dependable factor, as it stays consistent from year to year. Hydrangeas must be pruned at the right time of year to avoid removing that year’s blooms, bulbous perennials like daffodils and lilies cannot be cut back until the foliage begins to wither on its own, and irises must be transplanted at the appropriate time to avoid taking too much energy from flower development. In certain temperate areas that see prolonged drought, some plants wait for seasonal rainfall to initiate growth and eventual blossoming.
While it is hard to pinpoint an exact date, this chart below will give you a rough estimate of the blooming schedule for plants that can be seen at Bellefontaine.
Compiled by Madeline Scott
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