Spring bloom as of Wednesday, April 2, 2025
April is here, and with it the start of magnolia and daffodil blooms at The Morton Arboretum. Magnolia trees have begun flowering on the Arboretum’s East Side and West Side. Most of these early bloomers have white flowers. A few early yellow daffodils are in bloom, with many more sprouted and ready to bloom soon.
In the Arboretum’s gardens, early blooming perennials and shrubs include hellebores (Helleborus sp.), winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima), fragrant viburnum (Viburnum farreri), periwinkle (Vinca minor), forsythia (Forsythia species and cultivars), and Siberian squill (Scilla siberica).
A drive through our grounds will reveal grass turning green and many plants beginning to flower.
On the East Side
Elm Collection and Meadow Lake (Parking Lot 2): Cornelian-cherry dogwood (yellow), forsythia (yellow), white-forsythia (white), Ballerina Loebner’s magnolia (white), elms (green to red, with small wind-pollinated flowers)
Northern Illinois and Midwest collections (Parking Lot 2): Leatherwood (yellow), pussy willow (silvery gray)
Frost Hill (Parking Lot 3): White-flowering magnolias along the gravel path
Crabapple Lake (Parking Lot 5): White-flowering magnolias in full bloom; daffodils around the lake and along the road on the brink of bloom
Crowley Marsh (Parking Lot 5): Chorus frogs singing!
Oak Collection (Parking Lot 7): Anise magnolia and Northern Japanese magnolia, both white
East Woods (parking lots 8 to 16): American elm, hepatica (near Parking Lot 11), spring ephemeral wildflower stems and leaves beginning to poke up and bring green to the woodland floor
Beech Collection (Parking Lot 14): Siberian squill (dark blue)
Eastern United States Collection (Parking Lot 16): Brackenhurst daffodils (yellow) just beginning to bloom, alder catkins elongated
Temperate Asia Collection (parking lots 17 and 18): Korean rhododendron (lavender), Japanese cornelian-cherry (yellow), fragrant viburnum (white), Biondi’s magnolia (white)
On the West Side
Ornamental Flowering Trees Collection (Parking Lot 19): Magnolia trees (white and dark lavender)
Founder’s Grove (Parking Lot 20): Early daffodil blooms (yellow)
Thornhill Education Center, Fragrance Garden, and Joy Path (Parking Lot 21): Siberian squill (dark blue), winter honeysuckle (white), Cornelian-cherry dogwood (yellow), periwinkle (blue), hellebore (pink, white, yellow, green, and purple), white-forsythia (white)
Daffodil Glade (Parking Lot 22): The first scattered yellow daffodils
Sargent’s Glade (Parking Lot 26): Siberian squill (dark blue), scattered early yellow daffodil flowers, crocus (white, lavender, and purple) in full bloom overlooking Lake Marmo
Lake Marmo (Parking Lot 28): Skunk-cabbage (dark maroon) with leaves starting to emerge
As the temperature warms, the bloom season will move quickly as the landscape greens up and blooms after the long winter’s sleep. Visit the Arboretum often and stroll through the gardens, tree collections, and woodlands so you don’t miss any of the beauty and wonder of springtime.
Featured in the Spring Bloom Report
Cornelian-cherry dogwood
Cornelian-cherry dogwood blooms with tight clusters of small star-shaped yellow flowers in early spring, before its leaves emerge.

Daffodils
Different cultivars of daffodils are planted across the Arboretum to bloom throughout the spring.

Magnolias
The clustered pedals of magnolia flowers come in shades of purple, pink, and white.

About the Spring Bloom Report
The Spring Bloom Report is written by The Morton Arboretum’s manager of plant records, Ed Hedborn. It is typically published on Wednesdays throughout the spring to help guests plan their weekend visits. The Arboretum also publishes a weekly Fall Color Report in the fall.