We Have Flowers Blooming Year Round!

Each season at Cypress Gardens offers a different experience.
Below is a list of the common blooms and wildlife seen during each month:

Jan  Feb  Mar  Apr  May  June  July  Aug  Sept  Oct  Nov  Dec

January

Average temperatures range from 20 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Peak Camellia bloom.
• Alligators may occasionally be seen on sunny days.
• Warm, rainy nights bring choruses from the Spring Peeper and Southern Chorus frogs.
• Brown Creepers and the Orange-crowned Warbler are highlights to see.
• Sunny days may bring the Cloudless Sulfur Butterfly.
• A River Otter may be seen playing in the swamp and winter-nesting Bald Eagles are often sighted overhead.
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 February

Average temperatures range from 30 to 60 degrees F.

• Daffodils (Narcissus) are at their peak bloom this month.
• The earliest of the spring flowers are blooming:
  • Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
  • Blueberries (Vaccinium)
  • Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
  • Yellow Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens), the SC State wildflower.
• Yellowbelly Slider and Florida Cooter turtles emerge from their short hibernation.
• The vocals of the Southern Leopard and Green Frogs begin by month’s end.
• Moths such as the Luna Moth and Clear-winged Sphinx and butterfly species, Sleepy Orange, Mourning Cloak and Snout may be seen.
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March

Average temperatures range from 40 to 70 degrees F.

• The peak Azalea bloom arrives by months end.
• Blooming wildflowers include:
  • Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes atamasco)
  • Coral Honeysuckle (Lornicera sempervirens)
  • Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata)
  • Violets (Viola)
  • Big Floating Bladderwort (Utricularia inflata)
  • Sweetleaf (Symplocos tinctoria)
  • Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
  • Blue Toadflax (Linaria canadensis)
• Deciduous trees and shrubs leaf out, including the Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum).
• The last flowers of the winter-blooming Camellias melt away with the seasonal changes.
• Cricket frogs begin vocalizing.
• This is the onset of breeding season for most birds including:
  • Yellow-throated Warblers, Red-shouldered Hawks, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice.
• Early avian spring arrivals include:
  • Purple Martins, Rough-winged Swallows, Summer Tanagers, Parula Warblers, Chimney Swifts.
• Butterflies:
  • Black Swallowtail, Little Wood Satyr, Viceroy, Pearl Crescent, Buckeye, Red-spotted Purple, Monarch, and Carolina Satyr butterflies appear along with the earliest of many dragonfly species.
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 April

Average temperatures range from 40 to 70 degrees F.

• Dogwoods (Cornus) are blooming.
• April is the best time to see native Iris blooming.
• Additions to the March collection of blooming wildflowers include:
  • Southern Blue Flag (Iris virginica)
  • Dwarf Azalea (Rhododendron atlanticum)
  • Southern Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum)
  • Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
  • Water-spider Orchid (Habenaria repens)
• The numbers of bird species peak when many of the winter residents will not migrate north usually later in the month or early in May.  This winter residents include:
  • Ruby-crowned Kinglets
  • Hermit Thrushes
  • Solitary Warbler
  • Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
  • Dark-eyed Juncos
  • Swamp Sparrow
  • Song Sparrow
  • White-throated Sparrow
  • Fox Sparrow
  • Field Sparrow
• Spring migrants are arriving from their wintering areas which include:
  • Prothonotary Warblers
  • Hooded Warblers
  • Red-eyed Vireos
  • Yellow-throated Vireos
  • Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
  • Wood Thrushes
  • Blue Grosbeaks
  • Great-crested Flycatchers
  • Indigo Buntings
  • Orchard Orioles
• Frogs vocalizing in the swamp swells with the added voices of Bulls, Pigs, Little Grass, and Southern Toads.
• Gray squirrels are actively nesting and Bobcat activity soars.
• Though heard throughout the year, Barred Owls are particularly vocal.
• Tiger Swallowtail, Red Admiral, and Spring Azure butterflies make their appearance.
• The last week of April marks the end of peak Azalea bloom.
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May

Average temperatures range from 50 to 80 degrees F.

• Antique Roses start to bloom.
• The last of the wintering bird species depart for their breeding grounds, while the last of our breeding species; such as the Painted Bunting arrive.
• Deciduous plants have all fully leafed-out, and more species add their flowers to the landscape, such as:
  • Meadow-beauty (Rhexia)
  • Lizard-tail (Saururus cernuus),
  • Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata),
  • Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora),
  • Trumpet Creeper or Cow-itch (Campsis radicans),
  • Water Primrose (Ludwigia uruguayensis)
  • Verbenas (Verbena brasiliensis, V. bonariensis)
• Additional frog vocals include Green, Gray, and Squirrel Treefrogs.
• Question Mark butterflies appear.
• Day Lilies begin blooming by months end and continue throughout the summer.
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June

Average temperatures range from 60 to 90 degrees F.

• June brings the earth-shaking bellowings of the territorial, breeding alligator and the vocals of Narrowmouth Toads.
• Few spring wildflowers remain in bloom, but in their wake come the blossoms of the:
  • Fragrant Water Lily (Nymphaea odorata)
  • Beauty-berry (Callicarpa americana)
  • Blazing Stars (Liatris)
  • Crested Fringed-orchid (Habenaria cristata)
  • Ironweed (Vernonia acaulis)
  • Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)
  • Button-bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
  • Yellow-eyed Grass (Xyris)
• With the increasing heat, birdsong rather steadily decreases while insect song, like the buzzing of cicada, increases.
• Hairstreaks, especially the Gray and the Red-banded, become more prevalent among the butterflies.
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July

Average temperatures range from 70 to 90 degrees F.

• More flowering plants appear in the form of:
  • Elephant-toes (Elephantopus tomentosus)
  • Mistflower (Eupatorium coelestinum)
  • Water Willow (Decodon verticillatus)
  • Fragrant Ladies-tresses (Spiranthes odorata)
• Other than Mockingbirds, most songbirds have nests of fledglings and are relatively quiet.
• Until colder weather arrives in a few months, the sound of insects is dominant including the Katydid.
• The Palamedes Swallowtail is regularly seen.
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August

Average temperatures range from 70 to 90 degrees F.

• Wildlife, other than Insects (Katydids, Cicadas, grasshoppers, crickets) is relatively quiet as another breeding season winds down.
• Early fall bird migrants are becoming apparent and we begin to see the Eastern Kingbird, Barn and Rough-winged Swallows, and flocks of blackbirds and grackles assembling to build into their winter conglomerations.
• Butterfly migrants and wanderers become more common, such as Gulf Fritillaries, Hackberry Butterfly, Cloudless Sulfur, Monarchs, and American and Painted Ladies.
• Composites increase their dominance among flowering plants with at least 8 species of white-flowered Eupatorium, Goldenrods (Solidago), and Lobelias including Purple Lobelia (Lobelia elongata), Glandular (L. glandulosa), and Downy (L. puberula).
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September

Average temperatures range from 60 to 80 degrees F.

• Fall migration for birds is apparent as the mixed blackbird and grackle flocks continue to grow in number; Solitary Sandpipers, Palm and Black and White Warblers pass through; and the numbers of Gray Catbirds build to spend the winter.
• Gone until spring are the:
  • Yellow-throated Vireo
  • Acadian Flycatcher
  • Great-crested Flycatchers
  • Northern Parula
  • Eastern Kingbird
  • Purple Martin
  • Yellow-throated Warbler
  • Summer Tanager
  • Blue Grosbeak
• Composites continue to rule the flowering plants including:
  • Bur-marigold (Bidens laevis)
  • Climbing Aster (Aster carolinianus)
  • Goldenrods (Solidago)
• Antique Roses bloom again by months end.
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October

Average temperatures range from 40 to 70 degrees F.

• This is the prime fall month for observing the leaf-color change in deciduous plants and trees. The needles of our only deciduous conifer, the Bald Cypress, turn rust-brown.
• Many of September’s composites continue to flower, but most have gone to seed.
• A few amphibians, such as the Ornate Chorus Frog, gear up for their fall and winter breeding season.
• Great-horned and Screech Owls are more vocal.
• Bird migration continues as Red-eyed Vireos and Indigo Buntings will soon vanish until next spring.
• Winter arrivals include the:
  • Pied-billed Grebe
  • Eastern phoebe
  • House Wren
  • Winter Wren
  • Golden-crowned Kinglet
  • Ruby-crowned Kinglet
  • American Robin
  • Song Sparrow
  • Yellow-rumped Warbler
  • White-throated Sparrow
• Butterflies remain plentiful and the striking Purple Hairstreak is notable.
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November

Average temperatures range from 30 to 60 degrees F.

• Deciduous plants continue to become bare of leaves, including the Bald Cypress.
• The extensive old plantings of Camellias (mostly from Japan) begin to flower.
• Winter resident bird species continue to arrive, such as the:
  • Hermit Thrush
  • Cedar Waxwing
  • Pine Siskin
  • American Goldfinch
  • Dark-eyed Junco
  • Chipping Sparrow
  • American Woodcock
  • Brown Creeper
• Insect activity is slowing.
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December

Average temperatures range from 30 to 60 degrees F.

• The fragrant Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans) begins to fill the air along the trails and will last until February.
• Camellias continue to bloom as well as the horticultural Paper White Narcissus flower.
• Swamp Sparrows and other late resident birds arrive.
• Warmer days may bring out surprise butterfly appearances of Gulf Fritillaries, Cloudless Sulfurs, or Monarchs.
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