Landscape gardens at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum include over seven acres of trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and herbaceous perennial and annual plants. Set in multiple tiers of walled terraces, the plantings are intended to provide year-round seasonal interest to museum visitors and staff.

Currently in the planning stages, Smithsonian Gardens personnel are developing a “Flight Garden” for the Air and Space Museum. The goal for this garden is to feature a landscape planting that will demonstrate principles of flight by attracting some of the exceptional flyers of the animal kingdom. Visitors to the garden will be able to examine colorful interpretive signs that explain the flying abilities of insects and birds as well as methods of aerial seed dispersal by plants.

The monthly listing below informs the visitor of seasonal horticultural plantings that can be seen around the Air & Space Museum:

JANUARY / FEBRUARY

• Winterberry Holly, Ilex verticillata (fruits)
• Red Chokeberry, Aronia arbutifolia (fruits)
• Red-osier Dogwood, Cornus sericea (colorful stems)
• River Birch, Betula nigra (exfoliating bark)
• Japanese Apricot, Prunus mume (flowers)
• Nandina, Nandina domestica (foliage and fruit)
• Witch-hazel, Hamamelis mollis x japonica ‘Arnolds Promise’ (flowers)
• Lenten-rose, Helleborus orientalis (flowers)
• Crepe-myrtle, Lagerstroemia sp. (smooth bark)
• various broadleaf evergreen plants (foliage)
• various coniferous evergreen plants (foliage)

MARCH

• Daffodil, Narcissus hybrids (flowers)
• Winter Jasmine, Jasminum nudiflorum (flowers)
• Saucer Magnolia, Magnolia x soulangiana (flowers)
• Carolina Jasmine, Gelsemium sempervirens (flowers)

APRIL
• Saucer Magnolia, Magnolia x soulangiana (flowers)
• Star Magnolia, Magnolia stellata (flowers)
• Weeping Japanese Cherry, Prunus subhirtella var. pendula (flowers)
• Myrobalan Plum, Prunus cerasifera (flowers)
• Grape-hyacinth, Muscari armeniacum (flowers)
• American Redbud, Cercis canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’ (flowers)
• Oregon Holly-grape, Mahonia aquifolium (flowers)
• Siberian Squill, Scilla siberica (flowers)
• Spicebush, Lindera benzoin (flowers)
• Shadblow or Downy Serviceberry, Amelanchier canadensis (flowers)
• Dwarf Fothergilla, Fothergilla gardenii (flowers)

MAY

• American Yellowwood, Cladrastus kentuckea (flowers)
• Red Chokeberry, Aronia arbutifolia (flowers)
• Leatherleaf Viburnum, Viburnum rhytidophyllum (flowers)
• Blackhaw, Viburnum prunifolium (flowers)
• ‘Eskimo’ Viburnum, Viburnum ‘Eskimo’ (flowers)
• Coast Azalea, Rhododendron atlanticum (flowers)
• Cranesbill, Geranium sanginium (flowers)
• Japanese Maple, Acer palmatum ‘Inabe Shidare’ (foliage)

JUNE

• Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida (flowers)
• Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea (flowers)
• Siberian Iris, Iris siberica (flowers)
• Sweetbay Magnolia, Magnolia virginiana var. australis (flowers)
• Chaste Tree, Vitex agnus-castus (flowers)
• Virginia Sweetspire, Itea virginica (flowers)
• Shrubby Cinquefoil, Potentilla fruiticosa (flowers)
• Japanese Spirea, Spirea japonica (flowers)
• Daylily, Hemerocallis hybrids (flowers)
• Hakonechloa, Hakonechloa macra ‘Aurea’ (foliage)
• Japanese Crepe-myrtle, Lagerstroemia fauriei (flowers)
• Lace Shrub, Stephanandra incisa var. crispa (foliage)
• Smoke Bush, Cotinus coggygria ‘Folus purperus’ (colorful foliage)

JULY

• Bottlebrush Buckeye, Aesculus parviflora (flowers)
• Obedient Plant, Physostegia virginiana (flowers)
• Mountain Fleece, Polygonum amplexicaule (flowers)
• Summersweet, Clethra alnifolia (flowers)
• Aaronsbeard St.-John’s-wort, Hypericum calycinum (flowers)
• Shrub Althea, Hibiscus syriacus (flowers)
• Stokes’ Aster, Stokesia laevis (flowers)
• Asian Lily, Lilium asiatica (flowers)
• Wall Germander, Teucrium chamaedrys (flowers)
• Woodland Oats, Chasmanthium latifolia (flowers)
• Blue Catmint, Nepeta x faassenii (flowers)
• Crepe-myrtle, Lagerstroemia indica (flowers)
• Calamint, Calamintha neptoides (flowers)`
• Scholar Tree, Sophora japonica (flowers)

AUGUST

• Prairie Dropseed, Sporobolis heterolepis (flowers)
• Russian Sage, Perovskia atriplicifolius (flowers)
• Hosta, Hosta sp. (flowers)
• Japanese Anemone, Anemone japonica (flowers)
• Bluebeard, Caryopteris x cladonensis (flowers)
• Dwarf Palmetto, Sabal minor (flowers)

SEPTEMBER

• Lilyturf, Liriope muscari (flowers)
• Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida (dry fruits)
• Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea (dry fruits)

OCTOBER

• Prairie Dropseed, Sporobolis heterolepis (dry foliage and fruit)
• Woodland Oats, Chasmanthium latifolia (dry foliage and fruit)

NOVEMBER

• Virginia Sweetspire, Itea virginica (autumn foliage)
• Red Chokeberry, Aronia arbutifolia (autumn foliage)
• American Yellowwood, Cladrastis kentuckea (autumn foliage)
• Summersweet, Clethra alnifolia (autumn foliage)
• River Birch, Betula nigra (autumn foliage)
• Shadblow or Downy Serviceberry, Amelanchier canadensis (autumn foliage)
• Japanese Weeping Cherry, Prunus subhirtella var. pendula (autumn foliage)
• Witch-hazel, Hamamelis sp. (autumn foliage)
• Dwarf Fothergilla, Fothergilla gardenii (autumn foliage)

DECEMBER

• Aaronsbeard St.-John’s-wort, Hypericum calycinum (foliage)
• Leatherleaf Viburnum, Viburnum rhytidophyllum (foliage)
• Possum Haw, Ilex decidua (fruit)
• Winterberry Holly, Ilex verticillata (fruit)
• Mexican Feather Grass, Stipa tenuissima (foliage)
• Soft Rush, Juncus effusus (foliage)
• Wall Germander, Teucrium chamaedrys (foliage)
• Hakonechloa, Hakonechloa macra ‘Aurea’ (autumn foliage)
• Nandina, Nandina domestica (fruit and foliage)
• Red Chokeberry, Aronia arbutifolia (fruit)
• Scarlet Firethorn, Pyracantha coccinea (fruit)

More information on other Smithsonian Gardens and Landscapes