The first signs of spring flowers in London are a welcome sight after the grey, dreary days of winter. The bright colors and beautiful flower displays in London’s parks and gardens are definitely springtime in the city. In this post I will share the best places to see spring flowers in London.
Spring flowers in London
From March, London’s parks and gardens come alive with bright carpets of daffodils and daffodils.
St James’s Park, Green Park and Bush Park are some of the best places to see daffodils in London.
Depending on the weather, April is when the cherry blossoms, magnolias and tulips bloom in London.
One of London’s spring highlights is the spectacular Hampton Court Palace Tulip Festival, which will take place from 14 April to 1 May 2023.
From late April or early May, azaleas, rhododendrons, wisteria and bluebells bloom in several London parks. Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park is one of the most spectacular places to see azaleas and rhododendrons in full bloom in London.
Related: Spring at Isabella Plantations in Richmond Park
Spring is a beautiful time of year to visit London and explore the city’s many parks and gardens. Here’s a list of our favorite places to see London’s spring flowers, along with tips to help you plan your day, whether you’re a local or visiting on holiday.
St. James’s Park
Daffodils in St James’s Park
Daffodils are one of the first signs of spring and you can usually start seeing spring flowers in London’s parks from early March. St. James’s Garden receives most of the bulbs planted by the Royal Parks, and when in bloom, its thousands of daffodils create a vibrant display of yellow.
Hint. If you’re visiting with children, there’s a playground on the other side of Wellington Barracks with a large sandpit, play equipment and a slide-climbing area.
Read more. What to do in London’s St James’s Park with kids?
Cherry Blossoms in St James’s Park
St. James’s Park is also a beautiful place to see the cherry blossoms. One of the best places to see the flowers is by the lake by Buckingham Palace, where you can see the Blue Bridge and Horse Guards Parade on the other side.
Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens is a pleasure to visit all 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 Nature Area.
Snowdrops at Kew Gardens
In late winter and early spring, look for snowdrops in the Natural Area along the Woodland Walk. From late February to early March, you’ll also start to see carpets of crocuses and daffodils around the gardens.
Magnolia Grove at Kew Gardens
Visit Magnolia Grove in March and April for a spectacular display of blooming magnolia trees.
Cherry Blossoms in Kew Gardens
From April, there are a number of places in Kew Gardens to see the beautiful cherry blossoms, including the Cherry Walk between Palm House and Temperate House, the Japanese Garden by 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 the bluebell woods in April and early May. Head to the Natural Area to see the blue woods of Queen Charlotte’s Cottage.
The natural area is also a fantastic place for picnics and outdoor fun with a log trail to explore.
Interesting fact. Some of the blue woods at Kew Gardens are over 300 years old
Rhododendron Dell at Kew Gardens
Another highlight at Kew is seeing the colorful rhododendrons in bloom at Rhododendron Dell in spring. Sir Joseph Hooker brought back many new rhododendron specimens from his travels to the Himalayas 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 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 a stunning display of over 100,000 tulips in the palace gardens. The tulip displays were absolutely beautiful.
This year, the Hampton Court Palace Tulip Festival will be held from April 14 to May 1, 2023.
I also created an Instagram reel showing the different tulip displays in the gardens. My favorite spot was in the Kitchen Garden, lined with rows of vibrant tulips of all colors.
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 vine in the world), you’ll find a wall covered in a spectacular wisteria that was planted around 1840.
Richmond Park
Spring Azaleas and Rhododendrons at Isabella Plantation Richmond Park
Visiting 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 spring flower viewing experiences in London. In spring, the woodland garden explodes with bright colors, varying shades of pink and red.
I use the location tag on Instagram to check out the latest photos of Isabella Plantation, as the window to see this beautiful forest in bloom at the park is quite short and varies from year to year depending on the weather.
Related: Spring at Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park
Chiswick House and Gardens
Camellia Flower Show at Chiswick House and Gardens
The annual Camellia Flower Show at Chiswick House features a display of 33 different camellias in its conservatory. This is one of the oldest collections in Britain, with many camellias dating back to the original planting in 1828.
Wisteria at Chiswick House and Gardens
The conservatory at Chiswick House is also a great place to see wisteria in May.
Rhododendrons at Chiswick House and Gardens
Head to Chiswick House woodland in April and May to see the beautiful rhododendrons in bloom.
Fuller’s Brewery, Chiswick
One of the best places to see wisteria in London is Fuller’s Griffin Brewery in Chiswick. This magnificent wisteria covers a huge wall and is also the oldest wisteria in England, having been brought here from China in 1816.
Note that since this is a work site with trucks coming in and out with deliveries, posing and taking pictures is not allowed during the week. You are welcome to visit the wisteria when the brewery is closed on weekends.
Kensington Gardens
Cherry Blossoms in Kensington Gardens
There is a grove of flowering trees and at least one magnolia near the Lancaster gates of Kensington Gardens and near the Italian Gardens, which are beautiful to see when they are in bloom. You’ll also find some pink flowering trees near the Albert Memorial on the East Albert Lawn.
Related: Day Out Exploring Kensington Gardens
Hyde Park
And across the Serpentine, near the Knightsbridge side of Hyde Park, is this beautiful, quiet place with a magnolia tree.
Buckingham Palace
Flower beds at Buckingham Palace
One of the best places to see a display of tulips and other flowers in London in spring is Buckingham Palace.
One of the most stunning displays I saw at Buckingham Palace was a few years ago when around 28,000 tulips were planted in the Gardens of Remembrance, creating a riot of beautiful 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 walk in the gardens, one of the four playgrounds or the outdoor sports area, the largest in London.
Hint. The wonderful Marylebone Green playground is located in Regent’s Park and has a nature trail and climbing area, a high slide and huge sand pits.
Ravenscourt Park
Cherry Blossoms in Ravenscourt Park
One of the best places to see the cherry blossoms in London is Ravenscourt Park in Hammersmith. In the garden (near the basketball court) there are rows of cherry blossoms that create a beautiful pink tunnel when they bloom.
If you’re visiting with children, there are two great playgrounds: an adventure playground right next door where you’ll see the cherry blossoms in full bloom, and a children’s playground with a paddling pool on the other side of the park. summer
This post was updated on 13 March 2023 with updated photos and tips for London’s upcoming spring season.
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