47 plants that begin to bloom in March

Scientific name: Prunus mume
Bloom period: Late February to early April (peak bloom time in March)

Unlike many other plants, Japanese apricots begin blooming in the chilly winter months. The plant is found in USDA hardiness zones 6 to 9, and the plant's pink, red, and white flowers have a spicy fragrance. The plant also has several medicinal applications and can be taken to treat intestinal disorders or prevent heart disease.

Scientific name: Iris
Bloom period: Late February to mid-June (peak bloom time in March)

Named for the Greek goddess Iris, these purple flowers are planted as bulbs. There are several varieties with different physical characteristics. Some varieties fare better in different parts of the U.S., including the white "I Do" variety and the pink "Jennifer Rebecca."

Scientific name: Leucojum vernum
Bloom period: Early March to early May

Despite their name, spring snowflakes look like little white bells or skirts. Their flowers have a light scent, and the plant does best in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 9. They're also deer- and rabbit-resistant, making them a favorite for gardeners.

Scientific name: Primula
Bloom period: Early March to mid-September

The perennial primrose can come in many colors: white, yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, and blue. Though these plants enjoy damp, forestlike conditions, they can be prone to slugs, snails, and rot.

Scientific name: Amelanchier
Bloom period: Mid-March to early May

Though the serviceberries' white flowers emerge in the spring, this tree is known for being beautiful year-round. In the summer, it produces berries. In the autumn, the leaves turn fiery orange, and in the winter months, the plant's bare bark turns silvery. Different varieties fare better in various USDA hardiness zones.

Scientific name: Prunus subhirtella
Bloom period: Mid-March to early April

Cherry blossoms are one of spring's most celebrated flowers—think of all the people who flock to Japan each year for its cherry blossom festivals. Native to that island nation, Higan cherry trees burst with tiny, pinkish flowers beginning in March. The plants grow best in USDA hardiness zones 5 to 8.

Scientific name: Chaenomeles
Bloom period: Mid-March to early June

This spiny shrub has lovely red flowers and nasty thorns, making them a favorite for hedging and growing against walls. The flowers and subsequent fruit attract many types of birds, but there are also varieties that don't have thorns or fruit.

Scientific name: Leucojum aestivum
Bloom period: Mid-March to early May

Thriving best in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9, summer snowflakes look similar to their spring snowflake counterparts. The plant's chocolate-scented flowers bloom from March to May and go dormant in the summer.

Scientific name: Magnolia stellata
Bloom period: Mid-March to early May

Star magnolias are native to Japan. These lovely ornamental trees with white, spindly flowers thrive in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9. However, they are delicate and do best in sheltered gardens, especially since they bloom at a time when frost might still damage them.

Scientific name: Malus
Bloom period: Mid-March to early May

What's the difference between an apple from the grocery store and a crabapple? Size. Wild crabapples are much smaller than their produce-aisle counterparts. They're edible, too, though many of the varieties are quite sour.

Scientific name: Muscari armeniacum
Bloom period: Mid-March to early May

Native to Eurasia, these brilliant purple, cone-shaped flowers look like mini versions of larger varieties of hyacinths. Their scientific name, "muscari," derives from the Greek word for "musk," referring to the flower's famous scent.

Scientific name: Narcissus
Bloom period: Mid-March to early May

One of spring's most famous flowers is the bright yellow daffodil, though they also come in cream, white, pink, and orange. They do well in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 8. Their scientific name, "Narcissus," is named for the egotistical figure in Greek mythology.

Scientific name: Tulipa
Bloom period: Mid-March to early May

Another signature of spring, cup-shaped tulips come in a variety of colors and types. Tulips are famous for causing a frenzy in 17th-century Holland—the little flowers were so popular it became known as "Tulip Mania" and, at one point, a handful of bulbs were valued at around $44,000. Today, people still go to Holland in the spring to see them bloom.

Scientific name: Veronica
Bloom period: Mid-March to early November

Speedwells bloom in conical shapes with purple, blue, white, or pink petals. Varieties of this plant include "Red Fox," which has pink flowers and "Dick's Wine," which has dark red flowers.

Scientific name: Chionodoxa luciliae
Bloom period: Mid-March to late April

These periwinkle and white flowers are native to Turkey. They do well in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 8. Their name comes from the fact they often bloom so early that the flowers can be seen poking through snowfall.

Scientific name: Forsythia
Bloom period: Mid-March to late April

This shrub bursts with small, bright yellow flowers beginning in mid-March. They're known for being extremely fast-growing and requiring little care; they are often used for hedging or bushes.

Scientific name: Lindera benzoin
Bloom period: Mid-March to late April

Spicebushes are a favorite of black and blue spicebush swallowtail butterflies, playing host to those insects' larvae. They do well in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9 and have tiny, fragrant yellow flowers in the spring.

Scientific name: Magnolia loebneri
Bloom period: Mid-March to late April

These trees are no joke—mature plants can grow up to 30 feet high. Thriving in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9, their spring flowers are fragrant and colored white with a pinkish hue.

Scientific name: Pyrus calleryana
Bloom period: Mid-March to late April

The Bradford pear or Callery pear, known for its small white blossoms, is an iconic ornamental tree that grows throughout the southern states. However, their weak branch structure makes them prone to falling apart within mere decades, and they cross-pollinate with other trees, creating plants that choke out native flora.

Scientific name: Vinca minor
Bloom period: Mid-March to late July

Not to be confused with the common periwinkle species of snail, this plant, with its carpet of green leaves and purple-blue flowers, is commonly used as a ground cover. It's drought-resistant and grows well in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 8.

Scientific name: Rhododendron
Bloom period: Mid-March to late June

Azalea bushes are a part of the rhododendron family. There are many types of azaleas and rhododendrons, both native and exotic, and each has different levels of hardiness and soil and watering requirements.

Scientific name: Prunus persica
Bloom period: Mid-March to mid-April

White or pink flowers cover peach trees each spring, with those blossoms giving way to fruit. The plant does well in USDA hardiness zones 6 to 9 and produces its delicious, edible peaches in late spring or early summer.

Scientific name: Prunus sargentii
Bloom period: Mid-March to mid-April

Also known as North Japanese hill cherry, March brings small pink flowers to this tree. In the summer, its sour, dark cherries ripen. The tiny fruits are too small for humans, but birds love them.

Scientific name: Pulmonaria
Bloom period: Mid-March to mid-July

A hideous name for a lovely plant, the lungwort's leaves are green with white spots. Resulting flowers are pink, blue, or white. After planting, lungwort is known for being resilient and easy to care for.

Scientific name: Mertensia virginica
Bloom period: Mid-March to mid-June

Virginia bluebells are related to forget-me-nots, comfrey, and the aforementioned lungwort. It's no surprise that these beautiful flowers are bell-shaped, with bright blue or purple-ish petals. They thrive in the woodlands in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 8.

Scientific name: Pulsatilla
Bloom period: Mid-March to mid-June

There are 150 species of pasque flowers worldwide, 25 of which are in North America. The blue pasque flowers petals come together in a bell-shape surrounding an almost fuzzy looking cluster of pollen at its center. Medicinally, it's been used as a tea for treating rheumatism, a poultice for healing wounds, and aromatherapy for easing headaches.

Scientific name: Sanguinaria canadensis
Bloom period: Late March to early April

Bloodroot has flowers with lovely, white petals. However, its stem is what's most famous because of its wide-ranging medical uses: bloodroot has been used to induce vomiting and for emptying bowels. It's also been used to reduce dental pain, treat sore throats, and ease aching muscles, among other things.

Scientific name: Cercis canadensis
Bloom period: Late March to early May

Toward the end of March, clusters of tiny, rose-pink flowers bloom along the branches of this shrub. It does best in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9, and some varieties have different colored flowers, including white or deep magenta.

Scientific name: Pieris
Bloom period: Late March to early May

Native to the Southeast, fetterbushes have thick, green leaves and small, drooping flowers, which vary in shade from white to dark pink. They're easy to care for, but gardeners beware: The leaves and nectar are toxic to humans and other animals.

Scientific name: Trillium
Bloom period: Late March to early May

Trillium belongs to the lily family. These plants have a fascinating flower with three distinct white or red petals. Trillium has also been taken as an oral herb to ease the pain of childbirth, among other things.

Scientific name: Lamium
Bloom period: Late March to early November

This plant is a favorite for use as ground cover, carpeting bare garden patches with its varying colors of foliage and long-lasting white, pink, or purple flowers. However, it can spread aggressively, sometimes even choking out other plants. Gardeners should plan on regularly trimming it back.

Scientific name: Weigela
Bloom period: Late March to early November

Weigela shrubs begin dazzling with their red or pink blooms in late March. They come in varying sizes, shapes, and levels of hardiness, making them a favorite for home landscapers.

Scientific name: Dicentra spectabilis
Bloom period: Late March to early October

Related to poppies, these plants are stunners: Bleeding heart flowers bloom along the plant's stems and look like tiny hearts with seed pods hanging down. The plant does well in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 9. Though beautiful, its name is properly ominous: The plant is toxic to humans and other animals.

Scientific name: Cercis chinensis
Bloom period: Late March to late April

Bunches of small, pink-purple flowers only bloom on the stems and branches of this tree for a few weeks, but they're quite the sight for that short period of time. Thriving in USDA hardiness zones 6 to 9 in the United States, this flowering tree is native to central and southern China.

Scientific name: Brunnera macrophylla
Bloom period: Late March to late May

Also known as the great forget-me-not, these plants are known for their beautiful green or variegated leaves. The clusters of blue flowers that emerge in March are a bonus. They do best in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 7.

Scientific name: Phlox subulata
Bloom period: Late March to late May

Moss phlox is known for creating a thick ground cover with its thin, spiky leaves. In the spring, it also bursts with countless little flowers. Depending on the variety, the flowers could be shades of pink, white, blue, red, or lavender.

Scientific name: Aesculus glabra
Bloom period: Late March to mid-April

These plants are most famous for their shiny, dark nut, which is the mascot for the Ohio State Buckeyes. But the Ohio state tree also produces spindly, yellow-green flowers in the spring. Though they grow well in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 7, gardeners should know that the nut is inedible and toxic.

Scientific name: Spiraea thunbergii
Bloom period: Late March to mid-April

Native to China and Japan, the Thunberg's meadowsweet shrub has little white flowers starting in late March. The tannins in meadowsweet make it useful for treating colds, upset stomachs, heartburn, gout, and more.

Scientific name: Symphytum
Bloom period: Late March to mid-July

Comfrey is a popular ingredient in ointment and salves and has been used medicinally for thousands of years. This perennial with pale flowers grows well in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9.

Scientific name: Aquilegia
Bloom period: Late March to Mid-June

Columbine is beloved for its bell-shaped flowers, which come in a variety of colors and can even have two alternating colors on the same flower. Because part of the flower looks like talons, the name of this plant comes from the Latin word for "eagle." The plant was once used as a curative for headaches, sore throats, and heart issues.

Scientific name: Epimedium
Bloom period: Late March to mid-May

The little, deep red flowers that bloom in spring eventually give way to the plant's dark, purple leaves that develop by autumn. Thriving in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 8, this hardy plant can be grown in a variety of conditions from staying inside containers to being used as ground cover.

Scientific name: Paeonia suffruticosa
Bloom period: Late March to mid-May

With their soft, lush petals, peonies are a favorite flower for many. Tree peonies may not bloom until the plant's third spring, but they are worth the wait: Mature plants may have as many as 50 flowers.

Scientific name: Syringa
Bloom period: Late March to mid-May

Lilacs come in seven colors, but most know the common purple variety. Their fragrant flowers tend to bloom for about two weeks. They do well in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 7 and attract colorful butterflies.

Scientific name: Thalictrum
Bloom period: Late March to mid-October

The pendulous purple flowers that bloom on meadow-rues have spindly, yellow stamens. The plant is native to Japan, grows best in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 7, and doesn't do well in places with hot and humid summers.

Scientific name: Viola
Bloom period: Late March to mid-October

Violets aren't always blue. The approximately 500 varieties of violets include plants with yellow, white, and purple, among other colors. Once a symbol of love and fertility for the ancient Greeks, blue violets are grown today all around the U.S.

Scientific name: Oenothera
Bloom period: Late March to mid-September

Sundrops' furry green stems lead to soft yellow flowers. This plant, which does well in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9, truly performs for flower lovers. Individual flowers die off quickly, but the plant produces a succession of them for several months.

Scientific name: Ajuga reptans
Bloom period: Late March to October

Bugleweed is popular as ground cover for its ability to keep weeds down and because of its colorful, seasonal flowers. However, because it's so fast growing, it can be invasive unless it's well-maintained. It also has plenty of medicinal uses: It's used for lowering thyroid hormones, treating PMS and breast pain, easing insomnia, and slowing bleeding from nosebleeds or menstruation.