Top Plant Picks April 2021
Spring has sprung, and our gardens are in full bloom here at Cheekwood! Cheekwood’s Plant Collections Manager, Shanna Jones, shares her top plant picks for April. Use this as your guide as you explore the grounds!
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba)
Bloom Time: April – May
Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade
Water Requirement: Medium to wet
Wildlife: Raccoons, squirrels, and possums love the fruit
Tolerates: Wet soil
Native to North America: Yes
Other: Spreads by roots to form tree colonies. Fruit is fully developed by September here and tastes like banana custard!
Zones: 5 – 9
Location: Howe Garden and the Ann and Monroe Carell Jr. Family Sculpture Trail
Katsura Tree (Cercidiphyllum japonica ‘Pendulum’)
Bloom Time: March – April
Sun Requirement: Full sun – part shade
Water Requirement: Medium
Wildlife: Bees
Tolerates: Clay soil
Native to North America: No
Other: Native to Japan & China. Yellow fall color. Pendulous form provides winter interest.
Zones: 4 – 8
Location: Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida ‘Plena’)
Bloom Time: April – May
Sun Requirement: Part Shade
Water Requirement: Medium
Wildlife: Bees, birds, and butterflies
Tolerates: Deer, Clay Soil
Native to North America: Yes
Other: Double white flower
Zones: 5 – 9
Location: Carell Dogwood Garden
Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida Red Beauty®)
Bloom Time: April – May
Sun Requirement: Part Shade
Water Requirement: Medium
Wildlife: Bees, birds, and butterflies
Tolerates: Deer, Clay Soil
Native to North America: Yes
Other: Heavy bloomer with rosey-red color. A hybrid developed through the Rutgers University dogwood breeding program.
Zones: 5 – 9
Location: Carell Dogwood Garden
Barrenwort/Bishops Hat (Epimedium)
Bloom Time: March – May
Sun Requirement: Part shade – full shade
Water Requirement: Dry – medium
Tolerates: Deer & heavy shade
Native to North America: No
Other: Perfect contenders for dry, shady gardens. Flowers appear before the foliage.
Zones: 5 – 9
Location: Carell Dogwood Garden, Robinson Family Water Garden, Howe Garden, and Burr Terrace Garden
Small Anise Tree (Illicium parviflorum)
Bloom Time: April – May
Sun Requirement: Part shade – full shade
Water Requirement: Dry – medium
Wildlife: Bees & butterflies
Tolerates: Heavy shade, wet soil
Native to North America: Yes
Other: Fragrant and evergreen, spreads by root suckers to form colonies.
Zones: 7 – 10
Location: Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden, Howe Garden, and Carell Dogwood Garden
Kerria (Kerria japonica ‘Golden Guinea’)
Bloom Time: April – May
Sun Requirement: Part shade
Water Requirement: Medium
Wildlife: Bees
Tolerates: Deer & heavy shade
Native to North America: No
Other: This cultivar can grow up to 8 feet tall. Serves well as a single specimen or as a mass planting. Best to prune in spring after flowering.
Zones: 4 – 9
Location: Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden
Mountain azalea (Rhododendron canescens)
Bloom Time: April
Sun Requirement: Part shade
Water Requirement: Medium
Wildlife: Butterflies & Hummingbirds
Tolerates: Rabbit
Native to North America: Yes
Other: Loves acidic soils! Flowers are lightly fragrant. Perfect for open, shady woodland areas.
Zones: 5 – 9
Location: Blevins Japanese Garden, Bracken Foundation Children’s Garden, and Carell Dogwood Garden
