When do native plants bloom in Ontario?

Native bloom in Ontario peaks in June, when 274 native species are in flower. This calendar shows what is in bloom every month of the year.

Ontario native planting calendar | Hortus

The Ontario native planting calendar

444 plants native to Ontario carry bloom across the growing year, peaking in June. This calendar shows what is in flower each month and when to plant it, so your garden feeds pollinators and birds from the first spring thaw to the last of the fall asters. Planted together across the year, they help bring back the Monarch Butterfly and 19 species at risk that still range through Ontario.

When to plant in Ontario

Across most of Ontario the frost-free season runs from roughly mid-May to early October. Fall is the quiet hero: plant trees, shrubs, and hardy perennials from late summer through October so roots settle before winter.

Month by month

Map your garden free →

The bloom year at a glance

Taller bars mean more natives in flower. Peak: June

Jan
Feb
12Mar
82Apr
222May
274Jun
218Jul
156Aug
97Sep
31Oct
2Nov
Dec

January

Planning season. Leave last year's stems and seed heads standing, they shelter overwintering insects and feed birds.

February

Order seed and sketch your beds. Hold off on any cutting back while the cold holds.

March

12 in bloom

Wait for a warm stretch before cutting back, so overwintering insects can emerge. Start hardy seed indoors.

April

82 in bloom

Direct-sow hardy natives and plant bare-root stock as the soil thaws and dries.

May

222 in bloom

Plant out most natives once the frost risk passes. Water them in well.

JunePeak

274 in bloom

Keep new plantings watered through their first summer. Enjoy the early bloom.

JulyThis month

218 in bloom

Peak of the season. Deadhead for a second flush, or leave blooms to set seed for the birds.

August

156 in bloom

Water through dry spells and note any gaps in your bloom to fill this fall.

September

97 in bloom

Prime planting month: cool air over warm soil. Put in perennials, shrubs, and trees.

October

31 in bloom

Collect and sow ripe seed, and keep planting woody stock while the soil is workable.

November

2 in bloom

Mulch new plantings and leave the garden standing. The seed heads carry wildlife through winter.

December

Rest and plan. Standing stems and leaf litter are winter habitat, not mess.

Build your Ontario garden

Pick the natives that suit your yard, get a free report card of the wildlife they bring back, and find a nursery near you that carries them.

Start your free garden →Browse Ontario natives

Wildlife & habitat in Ontario →Check your sun & shade →Find a native plant nursery →

Calendars for other provinces

Quebec British Columbia Alberta Manitoba Saskatchewan Nova Scotia New Brunswick Prince Edward Island Newfoundland and Labrador