Blossom watch

Blossom has arrived to brighten up our year. In an ever-changing world, nature will always be a source of comfort for many of us. Discover more about these beautiful blooms that you've noticed during #BlossomWatch and the benefits they bring.

We celebrated #BlossomWatch day on 24 April. You can still join in by tagging your photos on social media with #BlossomWatch and downloading blossom-inspired activities, including a spotters' guide, spring poem and ideas for mindfulness.

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You can still share the beauty of blossom on social media for our #BlossomWatch campaign. Upload pictures of your local blossom, tag the location of where it is and use #BlossomWatch to spread the joy of spring with others. Helping nature and spring blossom flourish is simple when you donate to our everyone needs nature appeal or help to plant a tree.

Blossom map
Track the spread of blossom with this #BlossomWatch Twitter map

Track blossom sightings on our map 

As nature wakes up for spring, you can see people participating in #BlossomWatch with this map, which is powered by your tweets. You can also find out more about how you can spread the joy of spring on Twitter with #BlossomWatch.

View the map

Download blossom activities
There are lots of blossom activities to do in this PDF pack

Activities for blossom lovers (PDF) 

Slow down and connect to nature with these activities all about blossom. You can find a guide to spotting different blossom types, ideas for practicing mindfulness day-to-day and a spring poem to get into the spirit of the season.

Download the pack (PDF)
Blossom PDF pack in welsh

Download the blossom pack in Welsh (PDF) 

If you're looking for a Welsh version of the blossom activities, you can download it here. It includes the blossom spotter guide and mindful ideas for connecting with nature.

A collection of blossom photos

Take a moment to check out some recent photos of blossom. A few of these were sent in by our supporters on social media over the last few weeks for #BlossomWatch.

Blossom at Belton House
Plum blossom in Stroud
Blossom at Tatton Park
City blossom, Cheltenham, April 2021
The ornamental quince at Knightshayes, Devon
City blossom, Cheltenham

Blossom at Belton House by Marika Page

Plum blossom and forsythia in Stroud by Anna Rawcliffe

Blossom at Tatton Park by Sarah Lawrenson

City blossom, Cheltenham by James Dobson

©National Trust Images

The ornamental quince at Knightshayes, Devon by James Dobson

©National Trust Images

City blossom, Cheltenham by James Dobson

©National Trust Images

Blossom news

Magnolia blossom at Greys Court in Oxfordshire

Celebrating blossom with the UK’s first ever #BlossomWatch day 

24 April 2021 was the UK's first ever #BlossomWatch day. Lots of Members of Parliament have pledged to plant a tree in their constituency to bring the joy of blossom to more people, and a few celebrities have been getting involved in #BlossomWatch. Discover more about the buzz around #BlossomWatch.

Blossom circles will be planted in cities so more people can connect to nature

Helping cities blossom 

We're working with partners like the Greater London Authority to help communities blossom with greener spaces and circles of blossom trees. We've completed the planting of the first blossom circle at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.

Pink blossom blooms at The Vyne, Hampshire

Nature poetry to celebrate spring 

You can read a spring poem by Elizabeth-Jane Burnett here. To celebrate the first day of spring, we asked nature lovers across the UK to share their experiences of the arrival of the season. This nature poetry project was delivered in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Blossoming trees in our care

We care for hundreds of trees that blossom in the spring, many of which are historical varieties. This includes the tree said to inspire Newton's theory of gravity and the orchard that Thomas Hardy loved to play in as a child.

In Japan, spring blossom is celebrated with the traditional custom of Hanami, which means ‘flower viewing’ and is an opportunity to take in the beauty of flowers.

Notice the calming effects of spring blossom

Spending time to dwell on nature can improve your wellbeing.  Research shows that just 20 minutes could help to improve your mood. But only six per cent of adults and seven per cent of children take the time to celebrate seasonal events such as the first day of spring.

Take a different route on your daily exercise to see if you can spot blossom in your neighbourhood and embrace the turn of the season. Why not take a quick snap of a blossoming tree and send it to your loved ones to share the moment with others? Or you could join in with #BlossomWatch on social media to spread the joy of spring blossom.

For younger ones, as part of our '50 things to do before you’re 11¾', celebrating blossom could mean you watch a bird singing loudly in a tree (no. 44) or get up for the sunrise (no. 23) to use your daily walk to see how the golden hour lights up blossoming trees down your street in different ways.

Celebrate Hanami wherever you are and connect with nature to lift your spirits, even if it's just for a moment or so.

Codger's Fort on the estate at Wallington, Northumberland

Podcast: A toast to blossom

In our special blossom podcast episode we chat to Andy Beer, author of Every Day Nature, and hear how the arrival of blossom is a date not to be missed on his nature calendar. This episode was recorded before coronavirus and originally published in March 2020.

Listen to more podcasts

Why blossom matters

Children in the orchard at Ardress House, County Armagh, Northern Ireland

Growing wild in orchards we care for

As part of our work to encourage wildlife, we’re planting 68 new orchards on sites in England and Wales by 2025. Traditional orchards are great for wildlife — the trees are planted further apart and wildflowers are often grown underneath them to encourage pollinators to pollinate blossom when the trees flower in spring.

Small tortoiseshell butterfly at Morden Hall Park, London

A vital habitat for birds, bees and badgers

An abundance of wildlife thrives on blossom. Bees seek pollen from wild cherry and apple blossoms. Caterpillars and butterflies love the leaves of goat willow and elderflower blossoms. Song thrushes and blackbirds eat the fruit produced by the trees and hunt for insects among the blossom. Badgers, mice, voles and foxes eat the fruit that falls to the ground.

How you can help support nature

In recent years, we’ve seen how climate change can impact the health of habitats such as blossom. It’s now more important than ever to play our part, big or small, in keeping these homes as healthy havens for wildlife. You can play your part by making a promise for nature and making your garden a place for wildlife to thrive.

From simply letting the grass grow, helping to plant a tree, making seed balls for the birds or building a bug hotel, we’ve got loads of ideas to get you started.

Help the wildlife in your garden Make your promise
Hadrian’s Wall at Sycamore Gap, Northumberland

Plant a tree 

Donate to plant a tree and you'll be helping to plant 20 million trees by 2030. You can plant a tree from just £5 and you'll get a certificate to commemorate your gift too. Your dedication will ensure future generations can enjoy these green spaces for ever.

Plant a tree today