The first signs of spring flowers in London are a welcome sight after the grey, dreary days of winter. Seeing the vibrant colours and beautiful flower displays in the parks and gardens of London is definitely a highlight of springtime in the city. In this post, I’ll be sharing the best places to see spring flowers in London.
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Spring Flowers in London
From March, the parks and gardens in London come to life with vibrant carpets of crocuses and daffodils.
St James’s Park, Green Park and Bushy Park are some of the best places to see daffodils in London.
Depending on the weather, April is when cherry blossoms, magnolia and tulips are in bloom around London.
One of the highlights during spring in London is the spectacular Hampton Court Palace Tulip Festival, which will be on from 15 April – 6 May 2024.
Starting in late April or early May, azaleas, rhododendrons, wisteria and bluebells are in bloom in several London parks. Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park is one of the most stunning places to see the azaleas and rhododendrons in bloom in London.
Related: Spring in Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park
Spring is a beautiful time of year to visit London and enjoy exploring the city’s many parks and gardens. Here is a list of our favourite places to see the spring flowers in London, along with tips to help plan a day out whether you live locally or are visiting on holiday.
St James’s Park
Daffodils in St James’s Park
Daffodils are one of the first signs of spring and usually from early March, you can start to see the spring flowers in London parks. St James’s Park receives the majority of bulbs planted by the Royal Parks, and when in bloom, its thousands of daffodils create a vibrant display of yellow.
Tip: If you’re visiting with children, there’s a playground located across the Wellington Barracks with a large sand pit, play equipment and a climbing area with a slide.
Read more: Things to do in St James’s Park London with kids
Cherry Blossoms in St James’s Park
St. James’s Park is also a beautiful place to see cherry blossoms. One of the best spots to see the blossoms is at the side of the lake closest to Buckingham Palace, where you can just about see the Blue Bridge and the Horse Guards Parade on the other side.
Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens is a pleasure to visit year round and one of the best places to see spring flowers in London. There are over 300 acres to explore, with highlights including the Children’s Garden, Palm House, Princess of Wales Conservatory and the Natural Area.
Snowdrops in Kew Gardens
In late winter and early spring, look out for the snowdrops along the Woodland Walk in the Natural Area. You will also start to see carpets of crocuses and daffodils around the gardens from late February to early March.
Magnolia Grove in Kew Gardens
In March and April, visit the Magnolia Grove for a spectacular display of magnolia trees in bloom.
Cherry Blossoms in Kew Gardens
From April, there are a number of spots to see the beautiful cherry blossoms at Kew Gardens, including the Cherry Walk between the Palm House and Temperate House, the Japanese Garden near the Pagoda and the Palm House pond.
Related: Spring at Kew Gardens
Bluebell Woods at Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens is also one of the best places in London to see bluebell woods in April and early May. Head to the Natural Area to see the bluebell woods by Queen Charlotte’s Cottage.
The Natural Area is also a fantastic spot for picnics and outdoor fun with a log trail to explore.
Interesting fact: Part of the bluebell woods at Kew Gardens is over 300 years old
Rhododendron Dell in Kew Gardens
Another highlight during spring at Kew is seeing the colourful rhododendrons in bloom at the Rhododendron Dell. Sir Joseph Hooker brought back many new specimens of rhododendron from his travels to the Himalaya in the mid-19th century, and several were planted here, including some unique hybrids not found elsewhere in the world.
Read more about our previous visits to Kew Gardens through the seasons: Spring at Kew Gardens, Wandering around Kew Gardens; Autumn Foliage at Kew Gardens
Hampton Court Palace
Tulip Festival at Hampton Court Palace
In 2021, Hampton Court Palace held its inaugural Tulip Festival with stunning displays of over 100,000 tulips across the palace gardens. The tulip displays were absolutely beautiful!
This year, the Hampton Court Palace Tulip Festival will be running from 15 April – 6 May 2024.
I also created an Instagram reel showing the various tulip displays around the gardens. My favourite spot was at the Kitchen Garden where there were rows upon rows of vibrant tulips of all colours.
Wisteria at Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is also one of the best places in London to see wisteria. At the back of the Palace Gardens, near the Great Vine (which is the longest grapevine in the world), you’ll find a wall covered in a spectacular wisteria that was planted in around 1840.
Richmond Park
Spring Azaleas and Rhododendrons in Isabella Plantation Richmond Park
Visiting the Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park when its azaleas and rhododendrons are in full bloom (around late April to early May) is one of the most spectacular experiences to see spring flowers in London. During spring, the woodland garden is bursting with vibrant colors, various shades of pink and red.
I use the location tag on Instagram to check the most recent photos of Isabella Plantation, since the window to see this beautiful woodland in garden in full bloom is fairly short and varies from year to year depending on the weather.
Related: Spring in Isabella Plantation Richmond Park
Chiswick House and Gardens
Camellia Flower Show at Chiswick House and Gardens
The annual Camellia Flower Show at Chiswick House features 33 different displays of camellias at its conservatory. It’s one of the oldest collections in Britain with many of the camellias descended from the original planting in 1828.
Wisteria at Chiswick House and Gardens
The conservatory at Chiswick House is also a wonderful spot to see wisteria in May.
Rhododendrons at Chiswick House and Gardens
In April and May, head to the woodland area of Chiswick House to see the beautiful rhododendrons in bloom.
Fuller’s Brewery, Chiswick
One of the best places to see wisteria in London is at Fuller’s Griffin Brewery in Chiswick. This magnificent wisteria covers a huge wall and it is also the oldest wisteria in England, brought here from China in 1816.
Note that because this is a working place where trucks are coming in and out making deliveries, it is not permitted to show up and take photos during the week. You are welcome to come see the wisteria when the brewery is closed during the weekend.
Kensington Gardens
Cherry Blossoms at Kensington Gardens
On the Lancaster Gate side of Kensington Gardens, and near the Italian Gardens, there are is a grove of blossom trees and at least one magnolia tree which are beautiful to see when they’re in bloom. You’ll also find several pink blossoming trees near the Albert Memorial on the East Albert Lawn.
Related: Day Out Exploring Kensington Gardens
Hyde Park
And across the Serpentine, close to the Knightsbridge side of Hyde Park, there’s this beautiful, tranquil spot with a magnolia tree.
Buckingham Palace
Flower Beds at Buckingham Palace
One of the best places to see tulips and other flower displays during spring in London is at Buckingham Palace.
One of the most stunning displays I’ve seen at Buckingham Palace was a few years back, when around 28,000 tulips were planted in the Memorial Gardens, creating a beautiful riot of colour.
Regent’s Park
Another popular spot for spring flowers is Regent’s Park, where you’ll find beautiful displays of tulips (Avenue Gardens) and cherry blossom trees (Chester Road).
It’s the perfect place for a picnic, a stroll through its gardens, a visit to one of its four playgrounds or its outdoor sports area – the largest in London.
Tip: The fab Marylebone Green playground is located within Regent’s Park and features a natural trail and climbing area, tall slide and huge sandpit.
Ravenscourt Park
Cherry Blossoms in Ravenscourt Park
One of the best places to see cherry blossoms in London is Ravenscourt Park located in Hammersmith. There are rows of cherry blossoms in the park (near the basketball court) that create a beautiful pink tunnel when they are in bloom.
If you’re visiting with children, there are two great playgrounds here – an adventure playground which is right next to where you’ll see the cherry blossoms, and at the other side of the park, a toddler playground with a paddling pool during the summer.
This post was updated on 24 February 2024 with the updated photos and tips for the upcoming London spring season.
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