Spring returns to Petworth and brings new colors to our streets
/Flowers light up Lorenzo “Larry” Allen park
If you’ve found yourself walking around our beautiful neighborhood admiring the flowers and wondering what you’re looking at, we’re here to help. Welcome to "Petworth Blooming,” a popular series featuring some of the most common plants and flowers seen around Petworth. Follow and support Steve at PetworthBlooms.org and see more photos at @petworthblooms on Instagram.
Spring has sprung and Petworth Blooming returns! A look around the neighborhood offers splashes of bright colors for us all to enjoy. If you like the flowers at the small pocket parks and Circles, consider donating to PetworthBlooms, and help Steven expand, diversify, and maintain our gardens throughout the Petworth neighborhood.
The Flowering Dogwood is the state flower of our neighbors Virginia and North Carolina. These native trees are naturally white, but there are also pink cultivars. The bright white or pink structures are not actually flower petals, but rather a botanical structure called a bract. The real flowers are quite small and clustered together in the center of these showy bracts.
Pink dogwood on Randolph Street NW
White dogwood at Sherman Circle.
Kwanzan Cherries bloom later than the Yoshino cherry trees around the tidal basin. They have a more intricate flower structure with double petals that are a deep pink. They have excellent fall color as well.
A large Kwanzan Cherry off Illinois Avenue NW.
Shirofugen Cherries also have a double petal flower, but they are a lighter pink than the Kwanzan. They are usually the last of the Asian cherry trees to bloom.
Shirofugen cherry overhanging the sidewalk on Varnum Street NW.
Despite its odd name, Fothergilla is a great native shrub with white puffs of flowers in the spring, and it has fantastic fall color. There are a few different cultivars available, with a smaller growth habit or leaves that have a slight bluish hue.
Fothergilla on 5th Street NW.
Azaleas are probably the showiest of the spring flowering shrubs. Colors range from white to red to purple. Most azaleas that you’ll see around the neighborhood originate from Asia, though there are a few of the native species around.
White azalea on 5th Street NW.
A member of the olive family, Korean Lilac is perhaps best known for its fragrance. This species of lilac has smaller leaves and flowers than the Common Lilac from southeastern Europe. There is a great collection of lilacs at the National Arboretum that’s worth checking out if you’re a fan of this flower.
Korean Lilac on Shepherd Street NW
One of the most common flowers seen around Petworth are Creeping Phlox. Planted all over the neighborhood, these plants create gorgeous carpets of color cascading over retaining walls. Colors include white, pink and a few shades of purple. These low maintenance plants like lots of sun and well-drained soil.
A huge cascade of lavender creeping phlox on Webster Street NW.
Last but certainly not least, Tulips are blooming everywhere right now! These members of the lily family originally come from central Asia, but have made it to just about every temperate garden in the world.
Red tulips catching the sun on Quincy Street NW.
Orange and pink tulips at Sherman Circle.
Pink tulips with incredible patterning on Decatur Street NW.
So what's blooming next in Petworth? We’ll talk about that next time!
Donate!
If you like the flowers at the small pocket parks and Circles, consider donating to PetworthBlooms, and help Steven expand, diversify, and maintain our gardens throughout the Petworth neighborhood.
More from Petworth Blooming…
