May Blooms

May Blooms

Ceanothus

Ceanothus is an evergreen shrub or small tree with many clusters of small blue flower clumps in spring and summer.  Bees swarm to the bright flowers in early May.  Spring is a good time to trim out any deadwood in the plant.

Heliathemum

 

Helianthemum (also called Rock rose, Sun rose or Sun flower--as its Greek name translates) is a bright spring and summer flowering plant in the Cistaceae family that does well in rock gardens and in full sun.

Cistus

 

 

Also in the Cistaceae (Rockrose) family, the Cistus genus has pink and white short-lived flowers that bloom in the springtime on an evergreen shrub

. 

Chives

Allium schoenoprasum or Chives not only add great flavor in the kitchen but their spring blooms add a pop of color to your garden. They are perennial bulb plants in the Allium family.

Photinia

 

Photinia was featured in April Blooms for its unique shade shifting leaves (red new growth).  Now, the red new growth is almost fully green and the shrub is bursting with bountiful clusters of small white (pungent) flowers. 

Thyme

Thyme, part of the Lamiaceae family, makes a great year-round ground cover with bright tiny flowers in late spring and summer.  Thyme is a hardy plant that does well in rock gardens and around patio pavers for a sweet smelling alternative to grass or moss.

Lavender

Lavender (genus: Lavandula, family: Lamiaceae) is bursting with fragrant new growth in mid-May. 

Kniphofia

Kniphofia, commonly named Red-hot poker or Torch lily, is a native of Southern Africa and its striking orange blooms dot the urban landscape from mid-May through the end of the summer here in the Northwestern USA.  It is an evergreen pernennial which is closely related to the Aloe plant.

Iris 

Irises (from the Iridaceae family) are part of a genus of over 250 species of varying types (some rhizomatous and some bulbous).  Their name derives from the Greek word for rainbow and this evergreen perennial blooms in a range of colors including purple, yellow and white.

California Poppy

An all-time favorite of mine, the California poppy (Escholzia californica) in the Papaveraceae family, has been slowly popping up in Seattle through April (as the spring weather was finding itself) and now in May, they are finally as ubiquitous as the sunshine. 

Resources:

Perennials: The Definitive Reference with over 2,500 Photographs by Roger Philips and Martyn Rix

**I just got this book and it is a fantastic reference filled with pictures of perennials in situ all around the globe--a great buy!**

The American Horticultural Society encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers

Stearn's Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners by William T. Stearn