IN PHOTOS: Spring in bloom at the Missouri Botanical Garden

Spring at the Missouri Botanical Garden can look quite different each visit since new blooms can come and go in a matter of days. Catching your favorite springtime blooms at their peak can sometimes be a challenge, especially with St. Louis’ unpredictable weather.

Luckily, our staff and volunteer photographers have been capturing the beautiful flowers that have been blooming in our Garden over the past few weeks.

Early Bloomers

Even before spring officially arrived in St. Louis on March 19, many outdoor plants at the Garden began blooming in February and early March.

Some of these plants are expected to bloom in the late winter months such as snowdrops (Galanthus) and witch hazel (Hamamelis).

Others bloomed earlier than expected this year, such as our magnolias.

Cherry Trees and Bushes

There are two types of cherry blossom trees that can be found in the Japanese Garden: Weeping cherry tree (Prunus pendula ‘Pendula Rosea’) and and Yoshino cherry trees (Prunus × yedoensis).

Weeping cherry trees bloom with light pink blowers, while Yoshino cherry blossoms see small, white blooms.

Did you know? Yoshino cherry trees are the same species that Japan gifted First Lady “Lady Bird” Johnson to beautify Washington D.C. in 1965. These cherry blossoms are now an iconic part of spring in D.C.

A cherry bush that blooms beautifully this time of year is the Afghan cherry bush (Prunus jacquemontii). These could be spotted blooming near the Linnean House in early March.

Daffodils, Hyacinth, and Tulips

Daffodils (Narcissus), hyacinth (Hyacinthus), and tulips (Tulipa) often signify the beginning of the spring season, blooming throughout the month of March.

Horticulturalists at the Garden plant the bulbs of these spring perennials during the frigid winter days trusting that they’ll create beautiful displays months later.

Photo 1: Horticulturalists plant bulbs at the Victorian Garden in late November 2023.
Photo 2: Green sprouts cover the Victorian Garden in March of 2024.
Photos by Nathan Kwarta/Missouri Botanical Garden.

Crabapple Trees

The crabapple trees (Malus ‘Cardinal’) of Apple Allee – located in the Home Gardening area – often get overshadowed by the Japanese cherry blossoms blooming.

Lush clusters of bright pink blossoms — *Crabapple blooms at Apple Allee. Photo by Nathan Kwarta/ Missouri Botanical Garden.*

But these pink, clustered flowers should be on everyone’s list of “must sees” for spring.

Experience Spring at Sunset with Extended Evening Hours

Plan Your Visit

Additional Outdoor Blooms

Throughout the spring, we encourage guests to visit more than once and maybe take a path they haven’t explored for awhile. They could just find a new favorite bloom.

Indoor Blooms

Whether there is snow on the ground or it is over 100 degrees in St. Louis, there is always something in bloom at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

The Garden is home to several indoors spaces which house plants from around the globe. Many of these indoor spaces maintain a climate that allows foreign plants to bloom regardless of chilly spring days.

Our public indoor spaces include:

Linnean House: A functioning orangery built in 1882
The Climatron®: A climate-controlled conservatory in a geodesic dome
Emerson Conservatory: A newly-built conservatory inside the Jack C. Taylor Visitor Center

What about the Temperate House? In the spring 2024, the Temperate House was closed for remodeling. Stay tuned for more details.