Blooms in Our Backyard
BY ELLIE MCMILLAN
ILLUSTRATIONS BY AMY BLANDFORD
With colorful flora and glossy green leaves alongside prickly desert cactuses and intriguing trees, the San Diego Zoo is in bloom this spring. As an accredited botanic garden, our lush 100 acres are home to plants from a variety of ecosystems, including many that are endangered. Join us at the Zoo to experience nature’s vibrant displays, and discover how our work in San Diego is at the root of conservation efforts across the globe.
LOCAL LEGENDS
Jacaranda mimosifolia;
blooms around May–June
With breathtaking lavender blossoms, jacarandas are a welcome local marker of spring. Native to dry, subtropical mountain valleys, they’re at home in San Diego’s mild climate.
BRANCHES OF BLOOMS
Erythrina crista-galli;
blooms March-May
A riot of long scarlet clusters pop against rich green leaves, inviting a variety of busy pollinators to the cock’s comb coral tree. Spot them throughout the Zoo by their signature spiny trunks.
AN INVITING AROMA
Lonicera hildebrandiana;
blooms April–July
The largest of its kind, the giant Burmese honeysuckle is known for long, delicate, tubular yellow flowers and semi-evergreen leaves. Stop and smell its sweet signature scent!
SLEEPING BEAUTY
Prunus cerasifera;
blooms early March
As the weather warms, a spectacular profusion of pale pink petals appears among dark, reddish-purple foliage of the purple-leaf plum tree—a beautiful final farewell to winter.
CONSERVATION STARTS HERE
Orchidaceae family;
blooms vary
With over 28,000 varieties of orchids in the world, they grow in a wide range of distinct shapes and patterns. Their scent can be overpoweringly sweet or even stinky, depending on what pollinators they attract. Unfortunately, many species are endangered. The Zoo is a Designated Plant Rescue Center, and our Orchid House is home to more than 900 species, some confiscated from the illegal wildlife trade.
GETTING SPIKY
Asphodelaceae family;
blooms throughout winter and spring
A collection of early bloomers, aloe plants flourish at the beginning of the season. Growing in arid climates, these drought-resistant succulents store water in their large leaves, which typically grow in dramatic shapes.
Explore the Orchid House and our Carnivorous Plant Greenhouse or embark on a special botanical bus tour when you join us for Plant Days and Orchid Odyssey the third Friday of every month between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
