Each season offers a different experience at Cypress Gardens.

Common blooms and wildlife seen during each month:

January

Average temperatures range from 20 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

  • Peak Camellia bloom.
  • Alligators may occasionally be seen on sunny days.
  • Warm, rainy nights bring choruses from the Spring Peeper and Southern Chorus frogs.
  • Brown Creepers and the Orange-crowned Warbler are highlights to see.
  • Sunny days may bring the Cloudless Sulfur Butterfly.
  • A River Otter may be seen playing in the swamp and winter-nesting Bald Eagles are often sighted overhead.
February

Average temperatures range from 30 to 60 degrees F.

  • Daffodils (Narcissus) are at their peak bloom this month.
  • The earliest of the spring flowers are blooming:
    • Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
    • Blueberries (Vaccinium)
    • Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
  • Yellow Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens), the SC State wildflower.
  • Yellowbelly Slider and Florida Cooter turtles emerge from their short hibernation.
  • The vocals of the Southern Leopard and Green Frogs begin by month’s end.
  • Moths such as the Luna Moth and Clear-winged Sphinx and butterfly species, Sleepy Orange, Mourning Cloak and Snout may be seen.
March

Average temperatures range from 40 to 70 degrees F.

  • The peak Azalea bloom arrives by months end.
  • Blooming wildflowers include:
    • Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes atamasco)
    • Coral Honeysuckle (Lornicera sempervirens)
    • Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata)
    • Violets (Viola)
    • Big Floating Bladderwort (Utricularia inflata)
    • Sweetleaf (Symplocos tinctoria)
    • Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
    • Blue Toadflax (Linaria canadensis)
  • Deciduous trees and shrubs leaf out, including the Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum).
  • The last flowers of the winter-blooming Camellias melt away with the seasonal changes.
  • Cricket frogs begin vocalizing.
  • This is the onset of breeding season for most birds including:
    • Yellow-throated Warblers, Red-shouldered Hawks, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice.
  • Early avian spring arrivals include:
    • Purple Martins, Rough-winged Swallows, Summer Tanagers, Parula Warblers, Chimney Swifts.
  • Butterflies:
    • Black Swallowtail, Little Wood Satyr, Viceroy, Pearl Crescent, Buckeye, Red-spotted Purple, Monarch, and Carolina Satyr butterflies appear along with the earliest of many dragonfly species.
April

Average temperatures range from 40 to 70 degrees F.

  • Dogwoods (Cornus) are blooming.
  • April is the best time to see native Iris blooming.
  • Additions to the March collection of blooming wildflowers include:
    • Southern Blue Flag (Iris virginica)
    • Dwarf Azalea (Rhododendron atlanticum)
    • Southern Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum)
    • Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
    • Water-spider Orchid (Habenaria repens)
  • The numbers of bird species peak when many of the winter residents will not migrate north usually later in the month or early in May. This winter residents include:
    • Ruby-crowned Kinglets
    • Hermit Thrushes
    • Solitary Warbler
    • Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
    • Dark-eyed Juncos
    • Swamp Sparrow
    • Song Sparrow
    • White-throated Sparrow
    • Fox Sparrow
    • Field Sparrow
  • Spring migrants are arriving from their wintering areas which include:
    • Prothonotary Warblers
    • Hooded Warblers
    • Red-eyed Vireos
    • Yellow-throated Vireos
    • Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
    • Wood Thrushes
    • Blue Grosbeaks
    • Great-crested Flycatchers
    • Indigo Buntings
    • Orchard Orioles
  • Frogs vocalizing in the swamp swells with the added voices of Bulls, Pigs, Little Grass, and Southern Toads.
  • Gray squirrels are actively nesting and Bobcat activity soars.
  • Though heard throughout the year, Barred Owls are particularly vocal.
  • Tiger Swallowtail, Red Admiral, and Spring Azure butterflies make their appearance.
  • The last week of April marks the end of peak Azalea bloom.
May

Average temperatures range from 50 to 80 degrees F.

  • Antique Roses start to bloom.
  • The last of the wintering bird species depart for their breeding grounds, while the last of our breeding species; such as the Painted Bunting arrive.
  • Deciduous plants have all fully leafed-out, and more species add their flowers to the landscape, such as:
    • Meadow-beauty (Rhexia)
    • Lizard-tail (Saururus cernuus),
    • Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata),
    • Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora),
    • Trumpet Creeper or Cow-itch (Campsis radicans),
    • Water Primrose (Ludwigia uruguayensis)
    • Verbenas (Verbena brasiliensis, V. bonariensis)
  • Additional frog vocals include Green, Gray, and Squirrel Treefrogs.
  • Question Mark butterflies appear.
  • Day Lilies begin blooming by months end and continue throughout the summer.
June

Average temperatures range from 60 to 90 degrees F.

  • June brings the earth-shaking bellows of the territorial, breeding alligator and the vocals of Narrowmouth Toads.
  • Few spring wildflowers remain in bloom, but in their wake come the blossoms of the:
    • Fragrant Water Lily (Nymphaea odorata)
    • Beauty-berry (Callicarpa americana)
    • Blazing Stars (Liatris)
    • Crested Fringed-orchid (Habenaria cristata)
    • Ironweed (Vernonia acaulis)
    • Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)
    • Button-bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)
    • Yellow-eyed Grass (Xyris)
  • With the increasing heat, birdsong rather steadily decreases while insect song, like the buzzing of cicada, increases.
  • Hairstreaks, especially the Gray and the Red-banded, become more prevalent among the butterflies.
July

Average temperatures range from 70 to 90 degrees F.

  • More flowering plants appear in the form of:
    • Elephant-toes (Elephantopus tomentosus)
    • Mistflower (Eupatorium coelestinum)
    • Water Willow (Decodon verticillatus)
    • Fragrant Ladies-tresses (Spiranthes odorata)
  • Other than Mockingbirds, most songbirds have nests of fledglings and are relatively quiet.
  • Until colder weather arrives in a few months, the sound of insects is dominant including the Katydid.
  • The Palamedes Swallowtail is regularly seen.
August

Average temperatures range from 70 to 90 degrees F.

  • Wildlife, other than Insects (Katydids, Cicadas, grasshoppers, crickets) is relatively quiet as another breeding season winds down.
  • Early fall bird migrants are becoming apparent and we begin to see the Eastern Kingbird, Barn and Rough-winged Swallows, and flocks of blackbirds and grackles assembling to build into their winter conglomerations.
  • Butterfly migrants and wanderers become more common, such as Gulf Fritillaries, Hackberry Butterfly, Cloudless Sulfur, Monarchs, and American and Painted Ladies.
  • Composites increase their dominance among flowering plants with at least 8 species of white-flowered Eupatorium, Goldenrods (Solidago), and Lobelias including Purple Lobelia (Lobelia elongata), Glandular (L. glandulosa), and Downy (L. puberula).
September

Average temperatures range from 60 to 80 degrees F.

  • Fall migration for birds is apparent as the mixed blackbird and grackle flocks continue to grow in number; Solitary Sandpipers, Palm and Black and White Warblers pass through; and the numbers of Gray Catbirds build to spend the winter.
  • Gone until spring are the:
    • Yellow-throated Vireo
    • Acadian Flycatcher
    • Great-crested Flycatchers
    • Northern Parula
    • Eastern Kingbird
    • Purple Martin
    • Yellow-throated Warbler
    • Summer Tanager
    • Blue Grosbeak
  • Composites continue to rule the flowering plants including:
    • Bur-marigold (Bidens laevis)
    • Climbing Aster (Aster carolinianus)
    • Goldenrods (Solidago)
  • Antique Roses bloom again by months end.
October

Average temperatures range from 40 to 70 degrees F.

  • This is the prime fall month for observing the leaf-color change in deciduous plants and trees. The needles of our only deciduous conifer, the Bald Cypress, turn rust-brown.
  • Many of September’s composites continue to flower, but most have gone to seed.
  • A few amphibians, such as the Ornate Chorus Frog, gear up for their fall and winter breeding season.
  • Great-horned and Screech Owls are more vocal.
  • Bird migration continues as Red-eyed Vireos and Indigo Buntings will soon vanish until next spring.
  • Winter arrivals include the:
    • Pied-billed Grebe
    • Eastern phoebe
    • House Wren
    • Winter Wren
    • Golden-crowned Kinglet
    • Ruby-crowned Kinglet
    • American Robin
    • Song Sparrow
    • Yellow-rumped Warbler
    • White-throated Sparrow
  • Butterflies remain plentiful and the striking Purple Hairstreak is notable.
November

Average temperatures range from 30 to 60 degrees F.

  • Deciduous plants continue to become bare of leaves, including the Bald Cypress.
  • The extensive old plantings of Camellias (mostly from Japan) begin to flower.
  • Winter resident bird species continue to arrive, such as the:
    • Hermit Thrush
    • Cedar Waxwing
    • Pine Siskin
    • American Goldfinch
    • Dark-eyed Junco
    • Chipping Sparrow
    • American Woodcock
    • Brown Creeper
  • Insect activity is slowing.


December

Average temperatures range from 30 to 60 degrees F.

  • The fragrant Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans) begins to fill the air along the trails and will last until February.
  • Camellias continue to bloom as well as the horticultural Paper White Narcissus flower.
  • Swamp Sparrows and other late resident birds arrive.
  • Warmer days may bring out surprise butterfly appearances of Gulf Fritillaries, Cloudless Sulfurs, or Monarchs.
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