What's Blooming at Red Butte Garden Right Now?

Updated

Red Butte Garden publishes a running "What's Blooming?" feature that documents how the Garden changes week by week, with expert insights and close-up plant portraits from curators Jason W. Baker and Heidi M. Simper, who are often out in the Garden recording what's sprouting, leafing, blooming, and thriving. The most reliable answer to "what's blooming right now" is therefore the Garden's own current bloom update rather than a fixed list, because the display shifts continuously across its 100 acres of themed gardens and natural areas.

Why the answer changes week to week

The Garden holds 3,000 species of plants and trees across 100 acres of themed gardens and natural areas in a Foothills setting. Different plants peak at different points in the season, so what you see depends heavily on when you go. The curators' documentation is designed to capture exactly this: not a single snapshot, but a record of what is sprouting, leafing, blooming, and thriving at a given moment.

This means a list of "what's blooming" is only accurate for the week it was published. If you are planning ahead, treat any bloom list as a moving target.

How to check what's blooming now

  1. Go to redbuttegarden.org and look for the "What's Blooming?" feature, which links to the current week's plant portraits and curator notes.
  2. Read the curator commentary alongside the photos — it explains what stage each plant is in (sprouting, leafing, blooming, or thriving), not just whether it is in flower.
  3. Check "Today's Weather" on the site before you go, since conditions affect what is visible and how comfortable the visit will be.
  4. Cross-check the events calendar, because seasonal shows and workshops sometimes coincide with specific bloom periods.

Expected result: you get a current, photo-supported picture of the Garden rather than a generic seasonal description.

What else is on while you visit

The Garden's calendar runs alongside the bloom cycle. Recent listings include:

Event Timing
Fall Bonsai Show (with the Bonsai Club of Utah) October 3 & 4
Bulb Forcing Workshop October 3
Yoga and Sound Bath – Inside Sundays, October–April

If a bloom peak and an event overlap, you get both in one trip.

Practical details for planning around blooms

  • Location: 300 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108.
  • Admission: the site points to an admission rates page rather than listing prices in the main visit section — check it directly for current rates.
  • Best approach: decide your visit date first, then check the bloom update for that week, since the Garden transforms continuously rather than on a fixed schedule.

Common pitfalls

  • Assuming a bloom list from an earlier month still applies — it likely does not.
  • Relying on a general "spring is best" rule instead of the curators' week-by-week record, which captures plants that peak outside the usual window.
  • Skipping the weather check, which matters given the Foothills setting.

For behind-the-scenes plant updates between visits, the Garden also posts as @redbuttegarden on social media.