The month of May, even if it’s cooler and wetter than usual, is the season of blooming trees in Montreal. Finally! The trees have a few leaves, then a few flowers washed by the cool morning showers, which drop their petals like rain during the warm evenings.
In May, the flowering trees burst into dramatic bloom. You’ll have to look up to see them;
- the Japanese cherry trees(Prunus serrulata)
- the magnolias(Magnolia grandiflora)
- the serviceberries(Amelanchier canadensis)
- the crabapples(Malus baccata)
The Montreal spring ritual is a ritual of observation. And, after a long winter, the Holy Grail is to turn a street corner and stumble upon a magnolia in bloom or a cherry tree in bloom. But the season is short, and we’ll have to nudge fate a little if we want to linger under the blossoming trees this spring.
Map of Montreal’s flowering trees
The Centre for Biodiversity Science in Quebec (CSBQ) has created an interactive map that catalogs all of Montreal’s trees, by species and subspecies, in partnership with the City of Montreal.
It’s a serious, color-coded map that brings us a little closer to the science of biodiversity in a city we’ve forgotten is so green. It’s also an opportunity to plan our spring walks based on the concentration of flowering trees on Montreal’s streets.
On the map, we recommend looking for magnolias, cherry trees, serviceberries, and crabapples in May.
In June, the trees and flowers that will be in bloom will be:- Clematis (Clematis)
- Iris (Iris reticulata)
- Lilacs (Syringa)
- peonies (Paeonia)
- Vegetables and Herbs
