Nothing says spring like a stroll-through the tulips, daffodils or lilacs and our sources say blossoms are already starting to pop up this year. To help guide you on your quest for beautiful spring flowers, we’ve put together a brief list of favorite places. Happy spring!
Looking for more springtime family fun? Be sure to check out our Events Calendar and Spring Fun Guide.
Here’s where you can see spring in bloom near Des Moines:
1. Arie Den Boer Arboretum – Water Works Park
The Arie Den Boer Arboretum is home to one of the world’s largest collections of flowering crab apple trees with 300 varieties, including some varieties that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Crabapple blossoms appear in April to May, depending on the variety.
2. Buxton Park Arboretum – Indianola
Enjoy the Victorian gazebo and lighting as you take a tour through formal perennial and rose gardens at Buxton Park Arboretum. The Arboretum features many spring blooming trees like Magnolias, Tulips, Crabapples and Dogwoods.
3. Clare & Miles Mills Rose Garden – Des Moines
This historic garden near the Des Moines Art Center has been a favorite spot for viewing beautiful blooms since the 1930s. This lovely All America Rose Selections accredited garden displays more than 2,500 roses. Check out our guide to visiting the Clare & Mills Rose Garden.
4. Demonstration Garden – Urbandale
Jointly managed by Polk County Extension and the City of Urbandale The Demonstration Garden is full of creative ideas and horticulture information. In the spring you can catch a glimpse of flowering trees and shrubs and find blooming bulbs like crocus, daffodils and tulips.
5. Enabling Garden- Altoona
Kids of all abilities will love the fun and whimsical elements of the Enabling Garden in Altoona. Another collab of Polk County Extension this time with the City of Altoona this is an interactive children’s garden where they can play and experience nature. Various flowers and trees keep the garden awash in color from spring until fall.
6. Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden – Des Moines
The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden’s 14 acres of outdoor displays are currently evolving and changing month by month and season by season. Visit during the spring to check out blooming bulbs like daffodils and tulips along with other wilder variety of flowering plants. Admission fees apply.
7. Iowa Arboretum – Madrid
The Iowa Arboretum is located on 160 acres just outside of Madrid. The park showcases hundreds of species of trees, shrubs and flowering plants in a tranquil setting. Woodland and prairie trails provide wonderful outdoor walking opportunities. Admission fees apply.
8. Lilac Arboretum – Ewing Park
This arboretum features more than 1,400 fragrant lilacs of 120 varieties. Every spring for about two weeks, the Lilac Arboretum comes alive with color when the lilac trees and many other types of beautiful trees are in bloom. It is a spring tradition for many Central Iowa families to walk through the arboretum taking in the fragrant smell of the lilacs and enjoying the spectacular beauty.
9. Newton Arboretum & Botanical Gardens – Newton
The Newton Arboretum is a six-acre park filled with demonstration beds including annuals, perennials, ornamental grasses, roses and tulips. And, nearly 200 trees cross the grounds. Meander the paved trails and see how many sculptures you can find.
10. Reiman Gardens – Ames
Reiman Gardens is a living garden … always changing, adapting, evolving with the seasons. Situated on a 14-acre site it features distinct gardens throughout the indoor and outdoor areas, an indoor conservatory, 2,500-square-foot indoor butterfly wing a gift shop, and five supporting greenhouses. Admission fees apply.
Bonus: Pella Tulip Festival
Mark your calendar for Thursday, May 2 – Saturday, May 4, 2024 to enjoy delicious Dutch foods, performances, museum tours, and of course, hundreds of thousands of beautiful tulips.
Let us know your family’s favorite places to see spring blooms near Des Moines!
