British Blossom: The Ultimate Guide

Blackthorn blossom is among the earliest to appear in late winter.

Credit: Simon Colmer / naturepl.com
A male blackcap perching among blossoming blackthorn is a quintessential sign that spring has arrived.

Credit: Andy Rouse / Naturepl.com
Non-native trees like this ornamental cherry plum (or myrobalan) often line suburban streets and give the most spectacular displays of pink blossom in very early spring.

Credit: Ernie Jones / naturepl.com
Apple blossom appears from late spring. Its sweet fragrance attracts insects and other wildlife.

Credit: Andy Sands / naturepl.com
Hawthorn shield bug feeds on sap from a blossoming May (hawthorn) tree.

Credit: Alex Hyde / naturepl.com
Blackthorn often flowers when we get spells of wintry, cold weather and has given rise to the phrase 'blackthorn winter'.

Credit: David Tipling / naturepl.com

Why do trees have blossom?

Fruiting trees rely on insects for pollination, so their flowers tend to be showy, colourful and sweet-smelling to signal that nectar is available. In contrast, wind-pollinated trees tend to have drooping or hanging clusters of flowers that are inconspicuous and green or brown in colour.

What is blossom?

Many trees flower in spring, but what makes it blossom?

Botanically speaking, blossom refers to the flowers of stone fruit trees in the family Rosaceae such as plums, cherries, apples and hawthorns. They usually flower abundantly over a relatively short period in spring and range in pastel colours from creamy whites to deeper pinks.

Where to see blossom in the UK

Orchards, parks, gardens, woodlands and along streets and hedgerows are all good places to spot blossom.

We look after more than a thousand woods across the UK that are free for you to explore. Find a wood near you and enjoy a spring walk.

Plant your own blossoming tree

Turn your garden into a spring haven with British blossoming trees that brighten your space and nourish pollinators.

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When to see blossom in the UK

Most trees blossom in spring as the temperatures rise and sunlight increases, with blackthorn usually flowering first. You can often spot pear and plum blossom from March. April sees many trees in bloom, including wild cherry, crab apple and hawthorn. Later in spring and into early summer, rowan and domestic apple trees follow, with soft white and pink blossoms.

Flowering times vary across the UK – generally, the further north you are, the later trees will bloom. The calendar below gives a rough guide to when you can expect trees to be in blossom.

UK spring blossom calendar

Species	Month	Blossom colour
blackthorn	February – March	white
cherry plum	February – March	white
pear	March	white
plum	March – April	white
bird cherry	April	white
wild cherry	April	white
crab apple	April – May	white or pink
hawthorn	April – May	white or pink
Midland hawthorn	April – May	white or pink
Plymouth pear	April – May	cream or pink
sour cherry	May	white
rowan	May – June	creamy white
domestic apple	May – June	white or pink

Species	blackthorn	cherry plum	pear	plum	bird cherry	wild cherry	crab apple	hawthorn	Midland hawthorn	Plymouth pear	sour cherry	rowan	domestic apple
Month	February – March	February – March	March	March – April	April	April	April – May	April – May	April – May	April – May	May	May – June	May – June
Blossom colour	white	white	white	white	white	white	white or pink	white or pink	white or pink	cream or pink	white	creamy white	white or pink

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Flowering times

Climate change is causing UK plants to flower almost a month earlier on average, according to a study using our Nature's Calendar observations.

Is spring arriving earlier?

Although we love the arrival of spring, early springs year after year can have catastrophic consequences for wildlife. When blossom appears earlier, it can create an ecological mismatch where hungry chicks hatch too late to feast on insects that feed on the flowers.

You can help track these changes. Anyone in the UK can submit a record to Nature’s Calendar, it will help scientists understand how climate change is affecting ecosystems across the UK.

British blossom trees - take a closer look

Explore our list of the UK's wild and naturalised blossom trees and learn how to identify them with our easy tips.

Apple

Crab apple

Blackthorn

Cherry, bird

British blossom: the ultimate guide

What is blossom?