March is an exciting month for many in our community! It is a time to welcome in the sun and longer days, gather with friends in your local park, and celebrate college basketball in March Madness. Nature also is putting on its own form of March Madness, as plants blossom and migratory birds return. Nature is on full display in Seattle this spring!
Blooms in Abundance
While the University of Washington gets a lot of press for their amazing cherry blossom show, Seattle parks are full of blooming cherry trees, not just at the Japanese Garden or Kubota Gardens, but also along Lake Washington Boulevard. Gardeners plant many bulbs throughout our parks, and a stroll through many will find camas, daffodils, tulips, dahlias, narcissus, and more flowers adding color. In our natural areas, Osoberry, Red-flowering Current, and other shrubs punctuate their evergreen backdrop. Even turf areas that are permitted to grow ornamentally erupt with pollinator supporting blossoms from White Clover that is planted throughout, White Yarrow, English Lawn Daisy, and other perennial wildflowers that reach their potential in turf areas converted to pollinator habitat. Explore more floral displays at the Washington Park Arboretum, Woodland Park Rose Garden, or your local park!
Spring Buzz
When the flowers bloom, pollinators follow. Seattle parks host a plethora of insect species that take advantage of the sweet nectar in these many flowers. Native bees like mason bees come out of their winter hibernation to buzz around hundreds of flowers every day, and honeybees hop around from bloom to bloom creating their own sweet nectar. Butterflies escape their cocoons, spread their wings, and add a splash of aerial color to our parks. While on the ground beetles skitter to and fro with their iridescent shine. As the temperatures rise, so does the activity of our insect neighbors.
The Tropics Return
All these blooms and insects are a welcome relief for local birds and bats that rely on them for food as they prepare to raise their young. Chickadees become extra vocal and don their most vibrant coats. Stellar’s jays are even more indigo than usual. And other birds return from their winter homes in the tropics just for this bounty. Look for the dramatic color of Ruby-throated hummingbirds, Western tanagers, yellow warblers, and violet-green swallows as they seek out the flowers and insects that abound in Seattle during the spring.
Spring is a lively time of growth in the Northwest, a time when life ramps up and shows its full color. We hope you take some time to explore and enjoy this vibrant time of year in one of your local parks!
