What’s in Bloom?

This page offers bloom updates for popular trees and shrubs in Longenecker Horticultural Gardens and native plants in the Wisconsin Native Plant Garden and natural areas.

Longenecker Horticultural Gardens (jump to section)
Wisconsin Native Plant Garden (jump to section)

Notes for visitors:

Dogs, tree climbing, picnics, and drones are not allowed. See visitor etiquette»
Posed photography requires a permit.
Garden maps are available online (PDF) or at the Visitor Center and in trail boxes.

Longenecker Horticultural Gardens

When trees bloom, and for how long, depends on the weather. Hot sunny days may cause early flowering but shorten bloom duration. Cool cloudy days can delay flowering but lengthen bloom period. Open flowers are easily damaged by freezing temperatures. In addition, there is a range of bloom times within any particular tree collection because they include early, mid-, and late-flowering types.

2026 weekly bloom updates

Regular updates for LHG collections will be posted when bloom season begins.

Bloom time ranges

Time ranges are estimates. Actual bloom dates depend on weather conditions and will be noted in bold when buds begin to open. This date does not reflect peak bloom.

Cherries (Prunus spp.): early to mid-April
44 specimens (consisting of 21 taxa*)
Magnolias (Magnolia spp.): April–May
110 specimens (consisting of 75 taxa)
Crabapples (Malus spp.): April–May
200 specimens (consisting of 150 taxa)
Lilacs (Syringa spp.): April–May
400 specimens (consisting of 260 taxa)
Rhododendrons and azaleas (Rhododendron spp.): mid-April–May
99 specimens (consisting of 65 taxa)
Horsechestnut/Buckeyes (Aesculus spp.): mid-May
31 specimens (consisting of 24 taxa)

*taxa include species, subspecies, and cultivars

Wisconsin Native Plant Garden

Bloom Updates

Native plants will generally bloom earlier in the gardens than they do in the natural areas. First bloom date is in the Native Plant Garden unless otherwise noted.