March in Seattle

Chaenomeles (Quince) in Columbia City

 Hyacinthus (Hyacinth) in Rainier Vista

Narcissus 'Beersheba' (Daffodil) in Rainier Vista

 Ranunculus (Buttercup) in Columbia City

 
Ribes sanguineum (Flowering Currant) in Columbia City

March 2014 in Seattle was warmer & very much rainier than normal.  In fact, a record was set for rainfall in March at 9.44 inches/239.78mm.  The previous record had stood at 8.40 inches/213.36mm since 1950.  Normal rainfall is 3.72 inches/94.49mm.  The mean temperature was 48.5F/9.17C.  The normal mean temperature is 46.5F/8.06C.  The highest temperature was 66F/18.89C on 3/24, the lowest was 34F/1.11C on 3/22.  15 days had highs over 55F/12.78C.  There were 2 days with heavy rain, 10 days with rain, 21 days with light rain, a trace of snow on 3/1, 20 days with fog, 16 cloudy days, 14 partly cloudy days & 1 fair day.  In spite of all the rain, there were periods with sun & 16 days with very little or no rain.  

March in Seattle

Narcissus on Beacon Hill in March 2013

 Madison Park in March 2013

Prunus serrulata (flowering cherry) in Mt Baker in March 2013

Rainier Valley in March 2013

March 2013 was warmer & drier than normal.  The mean temperature was 47.9F/8.8C.  The normal mean temperature is 46.5F/8C.  The lowest temperature was 32F/0C, the highest 69F/20.6C.  Total precipitation was 2.74 inches.  Normal precipitation is 3.72 inches.  There were 5 days with rain, 19 days with light rain, 1 day with sleet, 16 days with fog (3 of them at a visibility of less than 1/4 mile), 2 days with haze, 17 cloudy days, 11 partly cloudy days & 3 fair days. 

March felt chilly & the skies were mostly dark with clouds. Light rain fell from time to time.  Arctostaphylos columbiana (hairy manzanita) Clematis armandii (evergreen clematis) major Narcissus (daffodil) Prunus serrulata (flowering cherry) Pulmonaria (lungwort) & Ribes sanguineum (flowering currant) began to bloom.  Around the middle of the month, leaves began to appear on Pyrus calleryana (Callery pear), Salix babylonica (weeping willow) & Syringa vulgaris (common lilac).  Buds swelled on many other shrubs & trees.  The last day of winter came on March 19.  The winter chill had diminished a week before. The last 3 days of the month were much warmer & sunny. Temperatures reached 65F/18.3C on 3/29, 68F/20C on 3/30 & 69F/20.6C on 3/31.

March in Seattle

Ribes sanguineum March 2012

Hepatica americana March 2012

Pulmonaria longifolia 'Bertram Anderson' March 2012

Hacquettia epipactis  March 2012

Helleborus lividus March 2012

March 2012 was colder & much wetter than normal.  The mean temperature was 43.1F/6.2C.  The normal mean temperature is 46.5F/8.1C.  The highest temperature was 60F/15.6C, the lowest 29F/-1.7C.  Total precipitation was 7.2 inches.  Normal precipitation is 3.72 inches.  There was 0.9 inch of snow.  There was 1 day with heavy rain, 9 days with rain, 24 days with light rain, 1 day with heavy snow, 2 days with snow, 4 days with light snow, 1 day with sleet, 19 days with fog, 23 cloudy days, 7 partly cloudy days & 1 fair day.

March Garden Pictures & Bloom Times

Chionodoxa luciliae March 2011

Crocus vernus March 2011

Primula x juliana 'Wanda' March 2011

Narcissus 'Beersheba' March 2011

 Primula 'Dorothy' March 2011

March Bloom Times

Below is a list of plants that began to bloom in my garden in Seattle in March 2011. I recorded the date when the 1st flower opened, not when they were in bud. I think this information is helpful in planning your garden. If you have nothing that blooms in March, you can find plants from this list.  If you have plants that bloom in March, you can choose something new that blooms at the same time.  Nurseries in Seattle usually sell plants when they are in bloom. I have included dates from previous years. Weather conditions probably account for most of the difference in bloom times.  March 2011 was cooler & darker, with more rain, than normal.  It rained on 25 days.  Only 2 days were mostly sunny, while another 4 days were partly sunny.  The maximum temperature was 62/16.6C, the minimum 32F/0C.  March 2010 was unusually warm & sunny.  10 days were mostly sunny, while another 3 days were partly sunny.  It rained on 18 days.  The maximum temperature was 70F/21C, the minimum 30F/-1C.

03-01-11  Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Howard McMinn’ 2-25-10, 3-13-09, 3-21-08
03-02-11  Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’ 2-04-10, 2-27-09, 2-20-08
03-02-11  Narcissus ‘Small Talk’  2-07-10, 3-2-09, 2-22-08
03-02-11  Pieris japonica 2-14-10, 3-13-09
03-02-11  Ribes sanguineum ‘White Icicle’ 2-14-10, 3-13-09, 2-22-08
03-03-11  Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Purpurea’ 3-10-10, 3-13-09, 4-15-08
03-03-11  Euphorbia characias 2-21-10
03-03-11  Erica australis ‘Holehird’ 3-06-10, 3-05-09
03-03-11  Narcissus ‘W P Milner’ 2-11-10, 3-5-09, 2-28-08
03-05-11  Hepatica americana 2-22-09
03-06-11  Lamium purpureum
03-06-11  Narcissus ‘Mite’ 2-14-10, 3-3-09
03-07-11  Narcissus minor 3-25-09, 3-03-08
03-11-11  Camellia japonica ‘Jupiter’ 1-25-10, 3-09-09
03-12-11  Clematis armandii 2-14-10, 3-24-09, 3-13-08
03-12-11  Narcissus ‘Jenny’ 2-27-10, 3-25-09
03-14-11  Crocus vernus 2-27-10, 3-13-09
03-14-11  Narcissus ‘Itzim’ 2-27-10, 3-17-09, 3-3-08
03-14-11  Vaccinium ovatum 3-17-10, 5-08-09, 5-05-08
03-15-11  Chionodoxa luciliae 3-05-10, 3-17-09, 3-09-08
03-15-11  Mahonia repens 2-21-10, 4-7-09, 2-28-08
03-15-11  Primula ‘Dorothy’ 3-10-10
03-16-11  Euphorbia myrsinites
03-16-11  Tulipa eichleri 3-01-10, 3-26-09
03-16-11  Tulipa turkestanica 2-21-10, 3-17-09, 3-6-08
03-17-11  Arctostaphylos columbiana 2-25-10, 4-4-09, 3-27-08
03-17-11  Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ‘Vancouver Jade’ 3-30-08
03-19-11  Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ 2-19-10, 4-7-09
03-20-11  Narcissus ‘Beersheba’ 3-01-10, 3-25-09, 3-16-08
03-20-11  Trillium ovatum 3-01-10, 4-01-09
03-21-11  Epimedium colchicum var. pinnatum 3-12-10, 4-09-09
03-21-11  Forsythia ‘Fiesta’ 3-06-10, 4-03-09, 3-21-08
03-21-11  Magnolia stellata ‘Centennial’ 2-21-10, 3-25-09, 3-31-08
03-25-11  Erythronium tuolumnense 3-03-10, 4-02-09, 3-17-08
03-27-11  Arctostaphylos x media 3-06-10, 4-04-09
03-27-11  Trillium cuneatum  3-16-10, 4-03-08
03-28-11  Narcissus jonquilla
03-28-11  Oxalis oregana 3-14-10, 4-04-09
03-29-11  Corydalis cava 3-10-10, 4-01-09, 3-18-08
03-29-11  Narcissus ‘Princeps’ 3-12-10, 3-13-08
03-30-11  Narcissus ‘Seagull’ 3-14-10, 4-06-09
03-30-11  Ribes sanguineum 3-10-10, 4-02-09, 3-09-08

Narcissus in the Cascadia Garden

Narcissus 'Tete-a-Tete' February 2010

Narcissus 'Mite' February 2010

Narcissus 'W P Milner'  February 2010

 Narcissus poeticus 'Actaea' March 2010

 Narcissus 'Itzim' March 2010

 Narcissus pseudonarcissus 'Princeps' March 2010

  Narcissus 'Seagull' March 2010

Narcissus are some of my favorite plants in the Cascadia Garden in Seattle.  Narcissus is the birth-month flower for March, the month when I was born.  I can't remember a birthday when I didn't receive a bunch of Narcissus.  I'm very attracted to the very common Narcissus 'King Alfred'.  But I really love them all.  I'm particularly fond of the miniatures, which bloom earliest, often toward the end of February.  I've included the bloom times for Narcissus in my garden, below.  Narcissus have been grown for millennia.  They appeared in the gardens of ancient Rome.  Most are native to the Mediterranean Basin, many in Iberia & Morocco.  Narcissus serotinus is a fall-flowering species which grows as far east as Israel.  Narcissus pseudonarcissus, the Daffodil, grows as far north as England.  The native range of Narcissus jonquilla, the Jonquil, is limited to the Iberian Peninsula.  There are perhaps 45 species of Narcissus divided into 10 groups, the largest of which is the Pseudonarcissi.  Most garden varieties are derived from Narcissus cyclamineus, Narcissus jonquilla, Narcissus poeticus, Narcissus pseudonarcissus, Narcissus tazetta & Narcissus triandrus.  Species, hybrids & cultivars are divided into 13 horticultural divisions.  A good source for Narcissus is John Scheepers, Inc.  Heirloom Narcissus can be found at Old House Gardens.

Narcissus in the Cascadia Garden:

Narcissus ‘Beersheba’ derived from Narcissus pseudonarcissus, introduced in 1923.  Bloom times: 3-01-10, 3-25-09, 3-16-08

Narcissus bulbocodium ‘Golden Bells’ Bloom times: 3-27-08, but not since.

Narcissus ‘Hawera’ derived from Narcissus triandrus & Narcissus jonquilla, introduced in 1928  Bloom times: 3-27-10

Narcissus ‘Itzim’ derived from Narcissus cyclamineus, introduced in 1982  Bloom times: 2-27-10, 3-17-09, 3-3-08

Narcissus ‘Jenny' derived from Narcissus cyclamineus but said to be a hybrid, introduced in 1943.  Bloom times: 2-27-10, 3-25-09

Narcissus jonquilla 'Baby Moon'  Bloom times: 3-13-08

Narcissus ‘King Alfred’ derived from Narcissus pseudonarcissus ssp. major, introduced in 1890.  Bloom times: 2-27-10, 3-25-09, 3-3-08

Narcissus ‘Limbo’

Narcissus ‘Little Gem’ introduced in 1938.  Bloom times: 3-13-09

Narcissus minor var. conspicuus  Bloom times: 3-25-09, 3-3-08
Narcissus ‘Mite’ derived from Narcissus pseudonarcissus ssp. obvallaris & Narcissus cyclamineus, introduced in 1965.  Bloom times: 2-14-10, 3-3-09
Narcissus nanus ‘Little Beauty’ introduced in 1965.
Narcissus x odorus a naturally occurring hybrid of Narcissus jonquilla & Narcissus pseudonarcissus.  Bloom times: 3-03-10

Narcissus poeticus ‘Actaea’ introduced in 1927.  Bloom times: 3-05-10, 4-04-09, 3-27-08

Narcissus pseudonarcissus ‘Princeps’ introduced in 1830.  Bloom times: 3-12-10, 3-13-08

Narcissus ‘Seagull’ derived from Narcissus poeticus, introduced in 1893.  Bloom times: 3-14-10, 4-06-09

Narcissus ‘Small Talk’ derived from Narcissus minor, introduced in 1965.  Bloom times: 2-07-10, 3-2-09, 2-22-08

Narcissus ‘Tete-a-Tete’ derived from Narcissus cyclamineus & Narcissus tazetta, introduced in 1949.  Bloom times: 2-07-10, 2-27-09, 2-28-08

Narcissus triandrus ‘Ice Wings’ introduced in 1958.  Bloom times: 3-16-10, 4-04-09, 3-27-08

Narcissus ‘W P Milner’ derived from Narcissus pseudonarcissus ssp. moschatus, introduced in 1884.  Bloom times: 2-11-10, 3-5-09, 2-28-08