Lancaster County has several places to see spring ephemeral wildflowers en masse. Peak bloom usually happens around Easter and the earliest arrivals already are starting to bloom in mid-March.
Here’s more about what’s blooming and what’s coming up at parks, preserves and gardens in the region as of March 14 (with report dates noted below).
Learn more about the top places to find spring ephemerals. Here’s a guide to some of the wildflowers you’ll find over the next few weeks.
Lancaster Conservancy preserves (updated March 14)
- Wildlfowers are starting to bloom at Lancaster Conservancy’s riverlands preserves, including Kelly’s Run Nature Preserve, Clark Nature Preserve, Climbers Run Nature Center, Turkey Hill Nature Preserve, Ferncliff Wildlife and Wildflower Preserve and Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve.
- In bloom at Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve are spring beauties and a few Virginia bluebells.
- Peak bloom is weather-dependent and expected around Easter, April 20.
Lancaster County Central Park (updated March 17)
- In Lancaster County Central Park, the Wildflower Trail has a few spring beauties blooming. Next up are dutchman’s breeches and bloodroot.
Hershey Gardens (updated March 18)
- Snowdrops
- Aconite
- Witch hazel
- Lenten roses
- Star magnolia tree
- Cornelian cherry dogwood trees have buds
- Next up: daffodils
Longwood Gardens (outdoors, updated March 19)
- Korean rhododendron
- Snowdrop
- Japanese Camellia
- Crocus
- Paper-bush
- Lenten-rose
- Indoors, many plants are blooming. Of note are rare blue poppies plus ‘Longwood Debutante’ clivia, the garden’s first clivia release.