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Plants were flowering about a week earlier this year than last but the freezing temperatures this past weekend has damaged most open flowers as well as killed newly emerging leaves and shoots. Trees and shrubs will have to rebud but some will suffer tip dieback, such as magnolias. Herbaceous perennials that were damaged will need to send up new shoot from below ground. The extent of the damage will vary from location to location depending upon micro-climates and the lowest temperature experienced. All you can do now is wait. When new growth appears, dead growth can be removed.
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Open flower on dogwoods, redbuds and crabapples have turned brown.
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The flowers on fothergilla, both the dwarf and large species, were damaged and open flowers on azaleas were killed. Flower buds that were still tight appear to be unharmed so later flowering in the Azalea and Rhododendron Garden is still expected.
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Many herbaceous perennials were coming into bloom and several were damaged. Fairy bells were damaged, but Jacob's ladder and small Solomon's seal look okay.
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Tulips were in full flower around the Garden and although they may not be standing tall most will still look nice.
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Double late tulips and Single late tulips Tulipa 'Monte Carlo' and 'Dreamland'
(lf)
Samuels Bulb Garden
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Many flowering bulbs are past peak but there will still be very lovely late flowering daffodils and other bulbs in the bulb gardens. Around the Garden you will see Spanish bluebells and camas starting to flower.
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The wisteria in the Japanese Garden was starting to flower but the flowers were killed. The tree peonies are starting to flower and are fine. A few early, single-flowered herbaceous peonies may start to open soon but peak flowering will not be until the end of April or the first week in May. The Kanzan cherries came through fairly well but were close to their normal end of bloom so will be dropping soon.
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In the Kemper Center's Native Missouri Woodland Garden check out the blackhaw viburnum. Golden ragwort and celendine poppy are turning the garden bright yellow.
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A wonderful woody plant to note is the Carolina allspice. Be sure and smell its fragrant flowers. Some weigelias will be starting soon.
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Also look for several lungworts beginning to flower as well as Siberian bugloss. Bleeding hearts were damaged severely.
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Woodland phlox as well as creeping phlox and the mountain bluet in the Strassenfest and Boxwood Gardens are in flower.
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The ground cover, Vinca minor, is flowering. Don't miss the spring flowering bulbs in the Mausoleum area.
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Our pansies came through winter well and are making lovely displays throughout the Garden. In the Kemper Center's Pansy Trial Beds you can see dramatic results in which varieties survived the cold winter well and which did not. Many spring-flowering annuals, such as toadflax are flowering nicely in beds and containers.
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Herbaceous perennials of note that continue in flower include: Virginia bluebells and pasque flower.
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Also of note are candytuft and bugleweed.
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