What's in Bloom: May

Calycanthus floridus
Widener Woods; Pennock Garden

Striking burgundy flowers adorn these large shrubs. Native to the southeastern United States, Calycanthus floridus gets its common name from its flowers’ sweet, fruity fragrance.

Chionanthus virginicus
Parking Lot

Native to central and eastern United States, these medium-sized trees display showy, fragrant flowers with long, white, ribbon-like petals. In full bloom, the flowers give this tree a fluffy, cloud-like appearance.

Asimina triloba
Sculpture Garden

Before producing leaves, this tree blooms with deep maroon flowers that attract its primary pollinators, flies and beetles. Native to the eastern United States, pawpaws are members of the custard-apple family, Annonaceae, which comprises of mostly tropical genera and species.

Cladrastis kentukea
Log Cabin

Long, wisteria-like flower clusters hang delicately off wide-spreading branches. A member of the pea family, Fabaceae, the individual flowers share similarities with those of eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) and honeylocust (Gleditsia tricanthos).

Aquilegia canadensis
Native Azalea Collection; Key Fountain

This charismatic native wildflower with its bright red and yellow flowers is a colorful addition to the garden. The long, tubular spurs at the end of each flower hold sweet nectar, attracting hummingbirds, their primary pollinator.

Rhododendron austrinum
Native Azalea Collection

Native to the southeastern United States, these shrubs produce clusters of tubular, fragrant orange flowers prior to leafing out in late spring

Rosa ‘Peggy Martin’
Rose Garden

This climbing rose is named after Peggy Martin, a prolific Louisiana gardener, and survived two weeks under 20 feet of saltwater after Hurricane Katrina. In full bloom, Peggy Martin rose is covered in clusters of small pink flowers.