What’s in Bloom

Cineraria is an annual plant that Longwood has used in our late winter/early spring displays since the Conservatory opened in 1921.   We maintain our own seed supply of this wonderful blue strain by hybridizing stock plants each year.

 

This tried-and-true variety of miniature daffodil was developed by pioneer plant breeder Alec Gray sometime in the 1940’s.  With it's modest 6 inch stature, featuring 2-to-3 slightly reflexed and vibrant yellow flowers per stem, and a reliable propensity to naturalize, 'Tete-a-tete' is a perfect choice for a variety of garden settings.

Yulan magnolia is a deciduous tree native to central and eastern China, where it has been cultivated in Chinese Buddhist temple gardens since 600 AD. Its flowers were regarded as a symbol of purity in the Tang dynasty and it was planted in the grounds of the emperor’s palace. This specimen tree has an excellent white to ivory colored floral display in the spring before the leaves emerge, which contribute to the origin of the Chinese name for the plant, "jade orchid." With creamy white flowers born on the bare branches at the end of winter, the yulan magnolia is regarded as an emblem of purity, feminine sweetness, and beauty.

Scilla siberica is an early flowering bulb which features pendulous, deep blue flowers in March and April.  This squill, which grows 3 to 6 inches tall, thrives in semi-shaded spots in well-drained soil and naturalizes well under deciduous trees.

 

Korean rhododendron is one of the earliest flowering shrubs with its bright rosy pink to pinkish purple flowers emerging before its foliage in late winter.  In its native Korea, it grows on rocky, dry slopes.  In the garden, it prefers full sun and moist soil with good drainage. The Korean name for this shrub is Jin-dal-rae. There, the delicate, exquisite blossom is eaten as a delicacy.  A pan-fried sweet rice cake and a traditional Korean form of sake are brewed from the plant flower petals.
 

Longwood Gardens forces blue-poppies to flower every year in March. This cultivar, 'Lingholm', produces large flowers that are four inches in diameter on average. Blue-poppies, native to the high elevations of the Himalayan Mountains, are infrequently cultivated outside their native habitat. Given the right conditions, however, they can thrive in gardens located in the northern regions of North America and Europe.