Plants that bloom in May in Zone 8 with pink flowers

Allium

Dramatic globe-shaped heads on tall stems. Architectural and deer-proof.

Anemone de Caen

Poppy-like flowers in jewel tones bloom in mid-spring over ferny foliage.

Apple

Fragrant white to pink flowers in spring precede a fall crop of dessert apples.

Aubrieta

Purple cascades spilling over walls and rocks in spring. Shear after bloom for a fresh flush of foliage.

Azalea

Explosive spring color in every warm hue. Acid-loving woodland classic.

Beverly Sills Iris

Coral-pink blooms with a tangerine beard. Named for the opera star and just as elegant.

Bleeding Heart

Arching sprays of heart-shaped flowers for shady woodland gardens.

Bloom-a-Thon Azalea

Repeat-blooming azalea with waves of color spring through fall. Evergreen in mild climates.

Bowl of Beauty Peony

Hot pink outer petals cup a creamy center of narrow petaloids. Dramatic and unmistakable.

Chives

Cheerful purple pom-pom flowers on a kitchen staple. Edible blooms make any salad Instagram-worthy.

Clematis

The queen of flowering vines. Over 300 species, something for every spot.

Columbine

Delicate, spurred flowers that dance on wiry stems. Hummingbird favorite.

Coral Bells

Grown mostly for dramatic foliage, but the tiny bell flowers are a bonus.

Creeping Phlox

An evergreen sun-loving groundcover that smothers walls, slopes, and rock gardens in dense pink, purple, blue, lavender, or white sheets every April and May.

Dianthus

Spicy clove-scented pinks with fringed petals in pink, red, white, or salmon, one of the best long-blooming edgers and front-of-border perennials for sun.

Dogwood

Iconic spring bloomer with fall berries and winter bark. Four-season beauty.

Drift Rose

Groundcover rose that stays low and spreads wide. Tough, disease-resistant, and constantly in bloom.

Encore Autumn Azalea

Spring blooms plus a full fall encore. Multiple color options in the Encore series.

Epimedium

Delicate fairy-wing flowers above leathery foliage. One of the toughest dry shade groundcovers.

Foxglove

Stately spires of spotted, bell-shaped flowers. Cottage garden royalty.

Gulf Coast Penstemon

Nodding tubular flowers in soft lavender shades brighten moist woods of the Gulf Coast.

Honeysuckle

Tubular, nectar-rich flowers with a fragrance that defines summer evenings.

Husker Red Penstemon

Dramatic burgundy-red foliage all season with white tubular flowers in late spring. The most striking native penstemon for gardens.

Impatiens

The shade annual champion. Flowers prolifically where nothing else will.

Knock Out Rose

The rose that changed everything. Disease-resistant, self-cleaning, and blooms nonstop from spring to frost.

Lantana

Multi-colored flower clusters that bloom relentlessly in brutal heat.

Lewisia

Succulent rosettes with brilliant striped flowers in hot sunset colors. Must have perfect drainage or it rots.

Lilac

Intensely fragrant clusters that define spring in northern gardens.

Lungwort

Flowers open pink and turn blue on the same stem. Silver-spotted foliage looks great all season.

Lupine

Dramatic spikes in every color. Short-lived but self-seeds generously.

Magnolia

Goblet-shaped blooms on bare branches. One of spring's most dramatic moments.

Mountain Laurel

Exquisite geometric buds open to cupped flowers. A native evergreen gem.

Native Spiderwort

Three-petaled flowers in blue-purple open fresh each morning on a tough native that blooms for weeks and seeds freely.

Nelly Moser Clematis

Pale pink petals with a darker pink bar down the center. Prefers some shade to prevent color fading.

Ninebark

Peeling bark, burgundy foliage, and white puffs. A native multitasker.

Nootka Rose

Single, apple-pink blooms followed by large rose hips that persist through winter on a vigorous Pacific Northwest native.

Pacific Bleeding Heart

Western native that blooms much longer than its eastern cousin. Ferny foliage all season.

Penstemon

Tubular flowers on upright stems. Native hummingbird magnet for dry gardens.

Peony

Lush, ruffled blooms with intoxicating fragrance. Lives for decades.

Persian Buttercup

Ruffled, rose-like blooms in vivid colors brighten cool spring beds and pots.

Petunia

Cascading color for containers and beds. Blooms nonstop until frost.

Prairifire Crabapple

Deep pink-red flowers on a disease-resistant crabapple. Persistent small fruit feeds winter birds.

Rhododendron

Big, bold trusses of bloom over glossy evergreen foliage.

Rose

The queen of the garden. Modern varieties are surprisingly low-maintenance.

Rosy Returns Daylily

Soft rose-pink blooms with a cream throat that keep coming from late spring to frost, absolutely tireless.

Salal

Leathery evergreen groundcover of Pacific Northwest forests. Urn-shaped flowers lead to edible berries.

Salvia

Vertical flower spikes that hummingbirds and bees cannot resist.

Sarah Bernhardt Peony

Fully double, apple-blossom pink blooms so heavy they nod on their stems. The most planted peony in history.

Sea Thrift

Grassy tufts topped with round pink pom-poms. Loves lean soil and coastal conditions.

Shooting Star

Nodding flowers with swept-back petals resemble tiny shooting stars in spring meadows.

Snapdragon

Vertical flower spikes with squeeze-open blooms. Kids love them.

Speedwell

Tidy spikes of blue that add vertical punch to the front of the border.

Spirea

Flat-topped flower clusters on tidy mounds. The easiest flowering shrub.

Sweet Alyssum

Honey-scented carpet of tiny flowers. The best living edging plant.

Sweet Pea

Ruffled, intensely fragrant climbing flowers in every pastel shade. Cool-season annual that hates heat.

Trillium

Three leaves, three petals, pure elegance. The jewel of eastern woodlands.

Tulip

The classic spring icon in almost every color imaginable.

Twinspike Coral Bells

Warm amber-caramel foliage that glows in the shade garden all season. The flowers are just a bonus.

Viburnum

Fragrant snowball clusters in spring, then berries for birds in fall.

Virginia Bluebell

Woodland ephemeral with sky-blue bells. Disappears by summer, returns faithfully.

Wax Begonia

Glossy leaves and nonstop flowers in sun or shade. One of the most reliable bedding plants anywhere.

Weigela

Tubular blooms smother arching branches in late spring. Hummingbird haven.

Wild Azalea

Sweetly fragrant pinwheel flowers on a deciduous native azalea that grows from New England to Georgia. Earlier and more cold-hardy than most.

Wild Geranium

Soft pink blooms over deeply-cut foliage. A woodland edge staple.

Wisteria

Cascading, fragrant racemes that create a dreamy canopy. Needs structure.