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.
British blossom: the ultimate guide
Spring is a spectacular time as trees burst into a glorious mass of delicate whites and pastels. In celebration of the season, here's our guide to British blossom
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.
When to see blossom in the UK
Orchards, parks, gardens, woodlands and along streets and hedgerows are all good places to spot blossom.
Here at the Woodland Trust, 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.
UK Spring blossom calendar
Month |
Species |
Blossom colour |
---|---|---|
February |
blackthorn |
white |
cherry plum |
white |
|
March |
blackthorn |
white |
cherry plum |
white |
|
pear |
white |
|
plum |
white |
|
April |
plum |
white |
crab apple |
white or pink |
|
bird cherry |
white |
|
wild cherry |
white |
|
hawthorn |
white or pink |
|
Midland hawthorn |
white or pink |
|
Plymouth pear |
cream or pink |
|
May |
crab apple |
white or pink |
hawthorn |
white or pink |
|
Midland hawthorn |
white or pink |
|
Plymouth pear |
cream or pink |
|
sour cherry |
white |
|
rowan |
creamy white |
|
domestic apple |
white or pink |
|
June |
rowan |
creamy white |
domestic apple |
white or pink |
This table gives a rough guide only. Flowering times depend on where you are in the UK – the further north often the later the date.
Month |
February |
March |
April |
May |
June |
|||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Species |
blackthorn |
cherry plum |
blackthorn |
cherry plum |
pear |
plum |
plum |
crab apple |
bird cherry |
wild cherry |
hawthorn |
Midland hawthorn |
Plymouth pear |
crab apple |
hawthorn |
Midland hawthorn |
Plymouth pear |
sour cherry |
rowan |
domestic apple |
rowan |
domestic apple |
Blossom colour |
white |
white |
white |
white |
white |
white |
white |
white or pink |
white |
white |
white or pink |
white or pink |
cream or pink |
white or pink |
white or pink |
white or pink |
cream or pink |
white |
creamy white |
white or pink |
creamy white |
white or pink |
This table gives a rough guide only. Flowering times depend on where you are in the UK – the further north often the later the date.
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, year-on-year early springs can have catastrophic consequences for wildlife. If flowers like blossom appear earlier, it leads to an ecological mismatch where hungry chicks hatch too late to feast on abundant insects that feed on the flowers.
The earlier that spring arrives, the harder it is for birds to adjust the timing of their breeding to match the peak in insects.
You can let is know what's happening to wildlife in your area. Anyone in the UK can submit a record to Nature’s Calendar and it helps scientists to understand how climate change is affecting ecosystems across the UK.


Is climate change causing plants to flower early?
External link
Plants flowering too early could be disastrous for wildlife. Help us track the effects of climate change near you.
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.