Blooms of Note
To our visitors: please do not pick or dig up our flowers. They are here for everyone’s enjoyment.
We will gladly give you resources to acquire flowers for your own garden. Thank you.
The White Ginger Lily (Hedychium coronarium) is blooming in the Butterfly Garden. Also called white garland-lily and butterfly ginger lily, this butterfly-shaped flower is a native of Asia. This plant is not a true lily but a member of the ginger family. There is a coloring page (W is for White Ginger Lily) of this flower to download.
The Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) is blooming on the Mary Black Foundation Woodland trail near the bird feeders. This striking North American native perennial is known for its vivid, scarlet-red spikes (the name alludes to the bright red robes worn by Roman Catholic cardinals) that bloom from midsummer to fall. Since most insects find it difficult to navigate the long tubular flowers, Cardinal Flower depends on hummingbirds, which feed on the nectar, for pollination because most insects find it difficult to navigate the long tubular flowers.
Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum) is blooming in various parts of the garden. A native perennial of the Aster family, it is a favorite of pollinators often the state butterfly, eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly can be seen harvesting nectar.
The White Water Lily (Nymphaea odorata) is blooming in the Children’s Garden below the Children’s Garden Gazebo. Water lilies were planted by Harold Hatcher in what is now the Upper Pond and it is good to see them back again. The scientific name means: Nymphaea alludes to the beautiful water nymphs of Greek Mythology and odorata reflects the fragrant smell they generate. Water lilies are nyctinastic (sleep movement); they are open during the day but close at night to protect the pollen.
The White Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is still blooming near the turtle pond. A hardy, heat-tolerant deciduous shrub that has been blooming for the past few weeks. Its brilliant white bloom stands iut against the dark green vegetation.
Splendor in Every Season
There’s always something in bloom at Hatcher Garden. While blooms cannot be predicted with complete accuracy, the following list offers a sample of what you may see throughout the year.
Note: ‘Single quotes’ indicate cultivar names and “double quotes” indicate common names.
Spring
Ajuga reptans ‘Burgundy Glow’
Ajuga reptans ‘Chocolate Chip’
Amsonia hubrichtii (bloom) “Threadleaf Bluestar”
Azalea, many colors
Azalea, native
Baptisia sphaerocarpa ‘Screaming Yellow’
Cercis canadensis ‘Alba’ “White Redbud”
Cercis canadensis ‘Ruby Falls’ “Weeping Redbud”
Cercis canadensis ‘Traveller’
Clematis armandii “Evergreen Clematis”
Daffodils, assorted cultivars
Dianthus ‘Bath’s Pink’
Erythronium americanum
Fothergilla (bloom)
Galanthus nivalis
Geranium ‘Rozanne’ “Woodland Geranium”
Hyacinth, assorted cultivars
Iris sibirica 'Caesar's Brother'
Kerria japonica
Leucojum aestivum “Summer Snowflake”
Lunaria annua (bloom) “Money Plant”
Magnolia soulangeana “Tulip Magnolia”
Mertensia viriginica - “Virginia Bluebells”
Ornithogalum umbellatum “Star of Bethlehem”
Philadelphus coronarius “Mock Orange”
Phlox divaricata ‘Woodland Phlox’
Rhododendron hybrida
Spirea vanhouttei “Bridal Wreath Spirea”
Trillium cernuum
Trillium grandiflorium
Trillium recurvatum
SUMMER
Achillea millefolium Yarrow
Aesculus parviflora “Bottlebrush Buckeye”
Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’
Asclepias tuberosa “Butterfly weed”
Buddleja davidii “Butterfly Bush”
Caryopteris divaricata ‘Snow Fairy’ “Bluebeard”
Cephalanthus occidentalis ‘Sputnik’ “Buttonbush”
Clerodendrum trichotomum (flower) “Peanut Butter tree”
Coreopsis verticillata ‘Zagreb’ “Threadleaf Coreopsis”
Delosperma cooperi “Ice Plant”
Digitalis purpurea “Foxglove”
Echinacea ‘Magnus’ “Purple Coneflower”
Gardenia, many cultivars
Hemerocallis “Daylily” assorted cultivars
Hibiscus hybrid ‘Moy Grande’
Hosta, many cultivars
Hydrangeas (Oakleaf, Mophead and Lacecap) – many cultivars
Illicium floridanum “Florida Anise”
Indigofera ‘Little Pinkie’
Koelreuteria paniculata “Golden Rain Tree”
Lantana ‘New Gold’ and others
Liriope ‘Royal Purple’ and others “Monkey Grass”
Musa basjoo “Banana Tree”
Penstemon ‘Husker’s Red’
Physostegia virginiana ‘Miss Manners’ “Obedient Plant”
Salvia ‘Black and Blue’
Salvia ‘Hot Lips’
Salvia ‘Lipstick’
Trachelospermum jasminoides “Confederate Jasmine”
Tradescantia “Purple Heart”
AUTUMN
Acer palmatum “Japanese Maple” many cultivars
Acer saccharum “Sugar Maple”
Amsonia hubrichtii (foliage) “Threadleaf Bluestar”
Callicarpa americana “Beautyberry”
Camellia sasanqua
Chasmanthium latifolium “Northern Sea Oats”
Chelone lyonii ‘Hot Lips’ “Turtlehead”
Chrysanthemum ‘Country Girl,’ ‘Michelle’s Pink,’ and others
Clerodendrum trichotomum (seed) “Peanut Butter tree”
Cotoneaster salicifolius “Willow-leaf Cotoneaster”
Crinum “Crinum Lily”
Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ “Montbretia”
Cyclamen hederifolium “Hardy Cyclamen”
Euonymus americanus “Strawberry Bush” or “Hearts-a-Bustin”
Eupatorium dubium ‘Little Joe’ Joe Pye Weed
Fothergilla (foliage)
Gingko biloba “Maidenhair Tree”
Hedychium coronarium “Ginger Lily”
Hibiscus mutabilis
Hibiscus syriacus “Rose of Sharon” or “Althea”
Impatiens capensis “Jewelweed”
Leucanthemum ‘Becky’ “Shasta Daisy”
Liquidambar ‘Slender Silhouette’ “Narrow Sweetgum”
Lobelia cardinalis “Cardinal Flower”
Lunaria annua (seed) “Money Plant”
Lycoris radiata “Surprise Lily”
Mahonia eurybracteata
Muhlenbergia capillaris “Pink Muhly Grass”
Osmanthus fragrans ‘Fudingzhu’ “Tea Olive”
Parrotia persica ‘Select’ “Persian Ironwood”
Polianthes “Tuberosa”
Rudbeckia “Black Eyed Susan”
Rudbeckia maxima “Giant Coneflower”
Salvia leucantha “Mexican Sage”
Solidago ‘Fireworks’ “Goldenrod”
WINTER
Lonicera fragrantissima “Winter Honeysuckle”
Magnolia stellata “Star Magnolia”
Mahonia bealei ‘Winter Sun’ “Leatherleaf Mahonia”
Mahonia eurybracteata ‘Soft Caress’
Nandina domestica
Pachysandra “Japanese Spurge”
Prunus mume ‘Peggy Clarke’ “Flowering Apricot”
Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku' “Coral Bark Maple”
Camellia japonica “Harold Hatcher favorites”
Edgeworthia chrysantha “Paper Bush”
Eranthis hyemalis “Winter Aconite”
Hamamelis “Witch Hazel”
Iris reticulata
Jasminum nudiflorum “Winter Jasmine”
Lilium formosanum “Formosa Lily
year-round
Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’ “Sweet Flag”
Cyrtomium falcatum 'Rochfordianum' “Holly Fern”
Cephalataxus harringtonia ‘Dukes Garden’ “Spreading Yew”
Conifers (Gazebo Conifer Garden and ACS Selection Garden)
Distylium ‘Vintage Jade’ “Blue Leaf Isu”
Heuchera ‘Caramel’ and ‘Key Lime Rickey’
Ophiopogon “Mondo Grass”
Panicum ‘Heavy Metal’ Switch grass
Poncirus trifoliata ‘Flying Dragon’ “Hardy Orange”