The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and you know it’s springtime at FSU when every walk to class is an explosion of colors. My favorite season at FSU is here again, and there isn’t an inch of sidewalk unaccompanied by bright, beautiful flowers. FSU’s Landscaping and Nursery Division of Grounds does such a fantastic job adding to the natural beauty of FSU that you can’t help but stop and smell the roses on your way to a lecture.
Every area of the university campus has a colorful floral accent, but I’m going to share with you my five favorite spots to walk to enjoy the beauty of springtime on campus!
- The Tangerine Tree at Fisher Lecture Hall
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This tree is one of the largest citrus trees on campus, and the plant itself is a gorgeous addition to the science buildings. The tiny white flowers are very pretty up close, but that’s not the only reason this tree is heading my list of the best spring spots to visit.
If you’ve walked past Fisher Lecture Hall recently and wondered what the intoxicating fragrance floating around is, know that you can smell these aromatic citrus blooms from yards away! There are many other citrus trees on campus, like the ones outside the Honors, Scholars, and Fellows building, but this one is my favorite to walk past.
- The Azaleas Everywhere
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While the blooms were there for a brief time, the bright bushes of azaleas of every color were eye-catching every time I walked through campus. There were so many different colors of azaleas, and I often found myself stopping to take pictures of every new variety I saw. My favorites are the bright pink formosa azaleas that bloom on Landis Green
The azaleas on FSU’s campus go from nondescript shrubs to bright shocks of color all across the university in the Spring. The area with the variety of azaleas next to Jennie Murphree Hall, under the oak trees, is a beautiful location for studying or just admiring the grounds.
- The Dogwood at Wildwood Hall
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There are only a few Dogwood trees left on FSU’s campus due to problems with borers, but you can still find some on Landis Green, near Wildwood Hall and the Stone Building. The big white blooms on the flowering Dogwood are some of my favorites to see during springtime. They typically have a very pleasant scent, and in my opinion, the few of these beautiful trees left on campus are worth a walk to admire.
- The yellow daylilies outside of Dittmer
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There are a couple of locations on campus with these bright yellow daylily varieties, like the sidewalk up to the Student Union and scattered around bushes near Landis Green, but I think the best location to enjoy these sunny little flowers is the bed right outside of the Dittmer Chemistry Lab. The lilies are bursts of yellow against the fresh mulch of the garden and are very eye-catching from the plaza in front of the Keen Building.
Definitely take a detour and check out these spring flowers next time you visit Dirac!
- Strozier Magnolias
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Magnolia blooms are a southern staple of springtime. The large flowers that occupy these larger trees on campus are great additions to FSU’s natural beauty. There are multiple types of magnolias on campus, like the star magnolias by the Wellness Center, saucer magnolias by Salley Hall, and the sweetbay magnolias located near Strozier and the Chemical Sciences Laboratory.
The flowers themselves are often soft pink or white and smell heavenly when you walk near them, despite how high up some of them are.
The flowers around campus add so much beauty to the university, and FSU Grounds does a fantastic job of making FSU a sight to see in the springtime. If you’re more interested in the plants and landscaping of campus, you should follow FSU’s Grounds and Landscaping on Facebook, where they post flower photos and information almost daily.
If you’re looking for some fresh spring flowers, be sure to take some time out of your day to explore the plants on campus this spring!
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