Take a walk through the display gardens of Lake Wilderness Arboretum right now, and you may catch a glimpse of several plants that are currently blooming.

Witch hazel, known as Hamamelis intermedia ‘Arnold Promise,’ blooms near the Meadow through March. This shrub shows off delicate, sweetly fragrant yellow flowers, each with four narrow, ribbon-like, crinkled petals and a reddish-green calyx cup, which bloom along the stems. Best in full sun, witch hazel looks nice in a border or a woodland garden, offering attractive summer foliage and fall color.

You may see winter honeysuckle, known as Lonicera fragrantissima, blooming in the Legacy Garden through February. Look for creamy white fragrant flowers or little red berries, which mature in late spring to early summer. The blooming flowers are often times considered “a harbinger of spring.”

To learn more about the plants in bloom or that grow at the Arboretum, visit our Plant Accession Database, which provides access to lists of plants filtered into various categories. Created by John Neorr, longtime friend of the Arboretum, this database is updated throughout the year. To find the Database, visit www.lakewildernessarboretum.org/gardens/.

Visit LakeWildernessArboretum.org, email info@lakewildernessarboretum.org or call 253-293-5103 to volunteer, donate or become a member.