April 6-12 - Forsythia

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Over the next few weeks, sunny splashes of bright yellow flowers will brighten the Arboretum as the Forsythia comes into bloom.  The blooms on this member of the olive family are slightly bell shaped, and range in color from buttery yellow to deep gold.  Watch and enjoy these various shades of yellow to appear over the next weeks.

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March 30-April 5 Crocus

​Prior to most trees leafing out in the Arboretum, a sure sign of spring is the blooming of the crocus.  You will see a number of these on both Campuses--some tucked in resident gardens, others in more prominent places in Courtyard Gardens, and this year in the Meditation Garden..

Just when it seems like winter will never lose its icy grip, the goblet-shaped crocus pushes through the snow to put on a show of color.  These blooms offer a variety of colors that stand out against the bleak late-winter landscape.  Not only do crocus provide late winter/early spring garden color, but they naturalize, meaning that they spread and come back year after year for an ever-larger display. As a bonus, deer, squirrels, and rabbits rarely bother these early little bulbs.

March 24-30 Coral Bark Japanese Cut Leaf Maple

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Near the intersection of Estaugh and Medford Leas Way, you will find the specimen tree:   Japanese Cutleaf Maple--Acer palmatum 'Coral Bark".

This beautiful small tree has brilliant coral bark on the young branches, and over the past weeks, the color has greatly intensified.  The color provides a wonderful focal point in the Arboretum to cheer us, even on a gloomy day.

Watch the pale green leaves emerge as spring arrives, and see them deepen
in color over the summer months.

March 17-23 Signs of Spring

Even though the first day of Spring is not until Thursday, March 20, if you look closely you will see signs of spring all around the Arboretum.

Keep an eye out for:

• Daffodil bulbs as they push up out of the ground.
• Look up at the tops of trees and shrubs to see buds forming with the promise of blooms and leaves.
• Watch out and listen for birds as they gather nesting materials.

March 9 - March 16 Witch Hazel

Hamamelis x intermedia Diane—Witch Hazel-- is an extremely rare specimen tree in the Barton Arboretum and is known for its wonderful fragrance, hardiness, and uniquely colored winter-blooming flowers.

This hybrid is a jewel in the landscape with its coppery-red flowers, which appear in late winter and early spring, before the leaves, and are produced so abundantly that you will want to cut some of the flowering branches for gorgeous indoor arrangements.

Check out this tree in the area between Court 7 and Court 2 on the Medford Campus. In addition, there are Witch Hazels on the Lumberton Campus to enjoy.