Mid-April: Redbud Season in the Park

Photos by John Eng
By Reynard Loki

“April is the cruelest month,” T. S. Eliot famously wrote in his 1922 poem The Waste Land. In the park, it looks more generous than cruel.

SPNA photographer John Eng captures the park as early spring transitions into fuller growth. Bird activity is picking up. A house sparrow appears in the shrubs, while a blue jay adds a brighter, more vocal presence overhead. Together, they reflect the range of bird life active in the park this time of year.

The plant life shows clear progression. Early bloomers like grape hyacinth and daffodil are in full bloom, while shrubs like lilac are just coming into flower.

The stunning Eastern redbud blooms straight from the branch—before the leaves arrive. Elsewhere, species like Japanese maple, a fixture of Japanese garden design emphasizing seasonality and transience, are just beginning to leaf out, marking the shift from bare branches to a developing canopy.

Pollinator activity is also increasing. An Eastern bumblebee and a Western honeybee forage on spring flowers, supporting plant reproduction across the park.

We are witnessing a clear seasonal shift: early flowers in bloom, trees beginning to leaf out, and wildlife becoming more active across the park.

Come visit and see the season unfolding in real time.