What's blooming each month in Vancouver

Vancouver with its year-round mild climate is a city of gardens and throughout the seasons there is always something of interest to photograph.

Vancouver is one of wettest cities in Canada and all this precipitation produces an explosion of flora. In winter, rain can descend on the city for days at a time pumping moist, mild air onto our gardens.

Flowering months listed here are typical dates during a normal year. But these dates can change depending on numerous factors including rainfall, temperature and cloud cover.

Select a month to discover what's in bloom on our streets, boulevards and in our parks and gardens.

What's in bloom Spring

February

Berries: Cotoneaster, Holly
Bulbs: Crocus, early Daffodils, Snowdrops (Galanthis), Winter Aconite (Eranthus hyemalis)
Flowers: English Daisies (Occasional), Helleborus, Pansies, Polyanthus
Shrubs: Daphne, Heath, Japanese Camellia (Camellia japonica), Mahonia, early Rhododendrons, Winter-Flowering Jasmine
Trees: Cornelian Cherry Dogwood (Cornus mas)
Cherry trees (Prunus): Accolade, Autumn Rosebud Cherry (Autumnalius Rosea), Cherry Plums (Prunus cerasifera), Whitcomb Higan Cherry (Prunus subhirtella 'Whitcombi')

March

Berries: Cotoneaster, Pyracantha, Skimmia
Bulbs: Anemone blanda, Crocus, Daffodils, Hyacinth, Narcissus, Scilla, early Tulips
Flowers: Aubrieta, Bergenia, Cyclamen Coum, English Daisy (Bellis), Helleborus, Pansies, Polyanthus, Polygala, Pulmonaria, Rockcress (Arabis), Vinca (periwinkle)
Shrubs: Camellia, Corylopsis, Daphne, Forsythia, Heath (Spring), Lily of the Valley (Pieris), early Rhododendrons, Viburnum (tinus and bodnantense), Winter-Flowering Jasmine
Trees: Magnolia
Cherry trees (Prunus): Accolade, 'Akebono' Yoshino, Cherry Plums (Prunus cerasifera), Shirotae, Weeping Higan (Prunus subhirtella 'Pendula'), Somei-Yoshino

April

Bulbs: Anemone, Fritillaria, Hyacinth, Narcissus, Tulip
Flowers: Alyssum, Arabis, Aubrieta, Bergenia, English Daisy (Bellis), English Wallflower, Euphorbia, Forget-me-not (Myosotis), Polyanthus, Primula, Pulmonaria, Schizanthus (Poor Man's Orchid), Siberian Wallflower, Trillium Ovatum, Trollius
Shrubs: Berberis, Camellia, Corylopsis, Forsythia, Heath, Quince (Chaenomeles), early Rhododendrons, Ribes, Skimmia, Spiraea, Viburnum
Trees: Crabapple, Dogwood (Pacific), Magnolia
Cherry trees (Prunus): Avium 'Plena', Hillier's 'Spire', Kanzan (Kwanzan), Pink Perfection, Sargent (Prunus 'sargentii'), Shirofugen, Shirotae, Shogetsu, Sweet Cherry, Tai Haku, Takasago, Ukon, Somei-Yoshino

May

Bulbs: Allium, Anemone, Ranunculus
Flowers: Alyssum, Anchusa, Arabis, Aubrieta, Calceolaria, Cineraria, English Daisy (Bellis), English Wallflower, Forget-me-not (Myosotis), Foxglove (Digitalis), Foxtail Lily (Eremurus ), Himalayan Blue Poppy, Iris, Lupin, Meconopsis (Tibetan Blue Poppy), Nemesia, Oriental Poppy, Pansy, Peony, Rock Rose (Helianthemum), Schizanthus (Poor Man's Orchid), Siberian Wallflower, Stocks, Sweet William, Tradescantia (Spiderwort), Trillium
Shrubs: Azalea, Beauty Bush, Broom Ceanothus, Daphne, Laurel, Lilac, Mock Orange (Philadelphus), Rhododendron, Spiraea, Viburnum, Weigela, Wisteria
Trees: Acer 'Crimson King', Davidia (Dove or Handkerchief trees), Dogwood (Kousa), English Hawthorn, Horse Chestnut, Laburnum, Locust (Robinia)
Cherry trees (Prunus): Kanzan (Kwanzan), Pink Perfection, Shirofugen, Shogetsu

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What's in bloom Summer

June

Flowers: Alyssum, Anchusa, Aruncus, Begonias (Tuberous and Fibrous), Candytuft, Columbine, Coreopsis, Delphinium, Dianthus, Foxglove (Digitalis), Foxtail Lily (Eremurus), Fuchsia, Geranium, Heliotrope, Hypericum, Iris, Lobelia, Marguerite, Meconopsis (Tibetan Blue Poppy), Nemesia, Nicotiana, Oriental Poppy, Pelargonium, Petunia, Phlox, Pansy, Primulas, Snapdragons, Valerian, Verbena, Veronica, Water Lily
Shrubs: Beauty Bush, Mock Orange (Philadelphus), late Rhododendrons, Roses, Stocks, Sweet Peas, Sweet William, Tradescantia (Spiderwort), Spiraea, Tree Peony, Viburnum, Weigela
Trees: Dogwood (Kousa), Laburnum, Locust (Robinia), Styrax japonica (Japanese snowbell tree)

July

Flowers: Acanthus, Ageratum, Alyssum, Amaranthus, Anchusa, Begonia (Tuberous and Fibrous), Calendula, Candytuft, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Dahlias, Echinops, Filipendula, Fuchsias, Gaillardia, Gazania, Geranium, Godetia, Heliotrope, Hosta, Hypericums, Impatiens, Lavatera, Lilies, Lobelia, Lychnis (Maltese Cross), Marguerite, Marigold, Monkshood (Aconitum), Nicotiana, Petunia, Penstemon, Phlox, Snapdragons, Tradescantia (Spiderwort), Verbena, Waterlilies, Yarrow (Achillea)
Shrubs: Buddleia (Butterfly Bush), Hydrangea, Roses
Trees: Catalpa, Evergreen Magnolia

August

Flowers: Acanthus, Ageratum, Alyssum, Amaranthus, Begonia (Tuberous and Fibrous), Calceolaria, Calendula, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Cleome, Dahlia, Dierama, Echinops, Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed), Escallonia, Fuchsia, Godetia, Geranium, Goldenrod (Solidago), Helianthus, Helenium, Heliotrope, Hibiscus, Hypericum, Impatiens, Japanese Anemone, Lavatera, Lobelia, Lilies (late season), Marigold, Monkshood, Nicotiana, Penstemon, Petunia, Phlox, Physostegia, Rudbeckia, Salvia (horminum, farinacea, splendens and patens), Snapdragons, Tradescantia (Spiderwort), Verbena, Yarrow (Achillea), Zinnia
Shrubs: Buddleia (Butterfly Bush), Hydrangea, Roses
Trees: Evergreen Magnolia, Silk Tree

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What's in bloom Fall (Autumn)

September

Flowers: Ageratum, Amaranthus, Aster, Autumn Crocus, Begonias (Tuberous and Fibrous), Chrysanthemum, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Dahlias, Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed), Fuchsia, Geranium, Goldenrod (Solidago), Heather, Helianthus, Helenium, Heliotrope,Impatiens, Japanese Anemone, Lobelia, Marigolds, Marguerite, Michaelmas Daisies, Marguerite, Monkshood, Nicotiana, Penstemon, Petunia, Phlox, Physostegia (Obedient Plant), Rudbeckia, Salvia (horminum, farinacea, splendens and patens), Sedum, Verbena, Yarrow (Achillea), Zinnia
Shrubs: Hydrangea, Roses
Trees: Angelica

October

Flowers: Ageratum, Asters, Autumn Crocus, Begonias (Tuberous and Fibrous), Chrysanthemum, Cosmos, Dahlia, Fatsia, Fuchsia, Geranium, Goldenrod (Solidago), Heliotrope, Impatiens, Lobelia, Marguerite, Marigold, Penstemon, Rubeckia, Salvia (horminum, farinacea, splendens and patens), Sedum, Verbena, Yarrow (Achillea), Zinnia
Shrubs: Hydrangea

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What's in bloom Winter

November

Berries: Beauty Berry (Callicarpa), Cotoneaster Simonsii, Euonymus, Holly, Mountain Ash, Pyracantha (Firethorn), Stransvaesia, Viburnum
Flowers: Browallia, Chrysanthemum, Coleus, English Daisy (Occasional Bellis), Fuchsia, Gerbera, Pansy, Phygelius 'Lemon Sunset', Styrax Japonicum seeds, Winter-Flowering Viburnum

December

Berries: Aucuba berries, Beauty Berry (Callicarpa), Cotoneaster Simonsii, Holly, Pyracantha (Firethorn)
Flowers: Clerodendron Trichotomum seeds, English Daisy (Occasional Bellis), Pansy, Skimmia, Winter-Flowering Viburnum

January

Berries: Cotoneaster, Holly
Bulbs: Snowdrops (Galanthis), Winter Aconite (Eranthus hyemalis)
Flowers: Hellebores
Shrubs: Chinese Witch Hazel (Hamamelis mollis), Heath, Himalayan Box, Hybrid Witch Hazel (Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena', 'Orange Beauty', 'Ruby Glow'), Oregon grape (Mahonia), Winter-Flowering Jasmine
Colourful bark: Golden-twig Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera 'Flaviramea'), Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum), Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera)

January is also a good time to photograph Magnolia's with fuzzy buds, fuzzy red fruit spikes on Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina), colourful lingering fruit, mosses and lichen.

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Document updated 2011 November 23

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