Laking Garden: Please note Laking Garden will be unexpectedly CLOSED April 26 and 27, reopening April 28. Other garden areas remain open. Apologies for any inconvenience.

What’s in Bloom? August at RBG

Home Articles What’s in Bloom? August at RBG
July 31, 2023

What Blooms in August?

Note: this is a general guide of what typically blooms this month at RBG. Bloom periods may vary by up to 2 weeks. For the best view of what’s blooming right now at RBG, see the current photos on RBG’s Instagram, or find the “Bloom Watch” section on the What’s in Bloom page.

The summer heat and sunshine brings out the pollinators as the gardens burst with bright colour and cooling foliage all August long!

Lush blooms await you throughout the Rock Garden, including Cardinal Flower, Shrub Roses, Goldenrod and Woodland Sage. Russian Sage looks particularly striking as tall, pink Hibiscus flowers flourish behind it. Sitting by the water feature is the best way to cool down on a hot day, and it’s a great spot to enjoy the Water Lily and watch bees and butterflies flutter around blooming perennials.

  • Rich pink hibiscus flower in bloom with light purple Russian Sage in the background
  • Pink Waterlilies In Reflecting Pond
  • A large yellow swallowtail butterfly feeds on the blooms of Giant Blue Hyssop plants

Pictured, left to right: Hibiscus, Hydrangea, Water Lily, Giant Hyssop (with Swallowtail Butterfly)

August in Laking Garden brings romantic views as Clematis climb the gazebo and nearby sculptural trees, while on the middle terrace full Garden Phlox and seas of Black-Eyed Susan pop alongside tall grasses and other mesmerizing perennials. Lavender, Cosmos and Snapdragon adorn the upper terrace’s Garden of Luxury, while Rhubarb, Corn and a variety of tomatoes approach their harvest time in the Garden of Necessity. Mid-month, the stunning Korean Evodia tree bursts with tiny white blooms, buzzing with hundreds of harvesting bees. 

  • Tiny round, white blooms form compacted groups on a single stem of the evodia tree, full of tiny bees
  • A large group of sunflowers grow in front of a wooden pergola structure
  • Black and yellow swallotail butterfly on tall pink blooms of garden phlox
  • Bright purple clematis climbs a steel structure

Pictured, left to right: Korean Evodia, Sunflower, Phlox, Clematis

Over in Hendrie Park, the Helen M. Kippax Garden bursts with pollinator-friendly native plants and their cultivars, including Coneflower, Bee Balm, and Blazing Star. In the Rose Garden, individual Rose varieties continue to pop throughout the month, while some summers will gift us another full flush! Between the Rose blooms, spot striking companion plants like Crocosmia, Pale Purple Coneflower, Stonecrop, Lindheimer’s Beeblossom, and Verbena bonariensis. Flowering herbs complement fruiting plants of all kinds in Veggie Village. 

  • Monarch On Purple Verbana Bloom
  • A garden bed full of white and pink coneflower plants, with large groupings of bee balm and black-eyed susan in the background
  • Bright red crocosmia blooms in the rose garden
  • honeybee on top of light purple stone crop

Pictured, left to right: Verbena, Coneflower, Crocosmia, Stonecrop

Full trees at the Arboretum offer shade for those exploring the wide-open space. Look for fragrant flowers beginning to open on Seven-Son Flower in the Synoptic Shrub Collection. Explore the nearby trails for signs of wildlife and keep an eye out while walking through the wetlands; Blue Vervain, Pickerel Weed, cattails and other marsh plants are flourishing this year! Low water levels in the spring exposed the usually submerged mud flats, allowing many seeds to germinate.  

August Favourites

peach coloured rose

Roses

The rose collection features multiple flushes mid June through fall, alongside companion plants that bloom throughout the season. 

The Rose Garden is located in Hendrie Park.

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A curving path of limestone steps ascends through an embankment of perennial blooms at rock garden, including a large hibiscus shrub

Rock Garden Perennials

The rejuvenated David Braley and Nancy Gordon Rock Garden contains many bold drifts of herbaceous perennials, with peak interest from July through September. 

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Plants that typically flower in August at RBG

  • Annuals
  • Astilbe
  • Beebalm
  • Black Cohosh
  • Blazing Star
  • Cardinal Flower
  • Clematis
  • Coneflower
  • Crocosmia
  • Dahlia
  • Dill
  • Evodia Tree
  • Geranium
  • Giant Hyssop
  • Goldenrod
  • Hibiscus
  • Hosta
  • Hydrangea
  • Joe Pye Weed
  • Lily
  • Lindheimer’s beeblossom
  • Oregano
  • Rose
  • Sage
  • Smoketree
  • Snapdragon
  • Stonecrop
  • Sunflower
  • Verbena bonariensis
  • Water Lily

*These plants have short bloom times and are very weather dependent. Check our social media feeds closer to bloom time for updates. 

Blooms by Season

Plants of interest are ever-changing in RBG’s five cultivated garden areas and nature sanctuaries. Learn what’s blooming now or see the blooms calendar for a rough estimation of what to expect each season.

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