Spring Arrives in Cornwall as Cornish Magnolias Bloom

Spring has officially arrived in England, and once again it began in Cornwall.

After months of blustery wet weather and storms across the Westcountry, the flowering of the county’s prized Cornish magnolias has signalled the start of the new season today, Friday 27th February 2026.

The annual declaration, known as Cornwall’s Spring Story, was made by The Nare Hotel together with The Great Gardens of Cornwall.

The 50 Bloom Signal

Each year, spring is declared when all six champion Magnolia campbellii trees, located across six of Cornwall’s Great Gardens, have flowered with at least 50 full blooms.

Those trees can be found at Tregothnan, Caerhays, Trebah, Trewidden, Trewithen and The Lost Gardens of Heligan.

Head gardeners at each location monitor the buds closely, recording progress daily on the Spring Story Bloomometer. Once all six trees reach the 50 bloom mark, the announcement is made that spring has arrived in England.

📷Credit Great Gardens of Cornwall

Standing Strong Through the Storms

This year’s declaration comes after a challenging winter. The Magnolia campbellii trees withstood the gales of Storm Goretti and Storm Chandra, protected by the gardens’ shelter belts.

Not all trees across Cornwall were as fortunate, with devastation reported in some of the county’s gardens following the severe weather.

Despite this, the magnolias are now creating what has been described as a striking display across the county, signalling the promise of brighter days and warmer weather ahead across the UK.

📷Credit Great Gardens of Cornwall

A Tradition Since 2012

Cornwall’s Spring Story was founded by Toby Ashworth, proprietor of The Nare, in partnership with the Great Gardens of Cornwall in 2012. The aim was to raise awareness of how early spring arrives first in the Westcountry.

Toby Ashworth said: “Over the last 14 years, the first date of spring has been remarkably consistent and this year, despite challenging weather conditions, the Magnolia campbellii have flowered as usual between Valentine’s Day and the first week in March. It is safe to say spring has arrived, and for all garden lovers, the most spectacular sight of Cornwall’s lovely spring blooms.”

Jonathon Jones, OBE, Managing Director of Tregothnan added: “Nothing beats Cornwall’s gardens in February and March. To say that the Cornish spring gardens do spring bigger and better than anywhere else in the world is an understatement. I encourage everyone to book early, get to Cornwall and have a sensational spring.”

Find Out More

More information about Cornwall’s Spring Story can be found on The Nare’s website.

Further details about The Nare Hotel, the family owned country house hotel on the Roseland Peninsula, are also available online.

📷Cornwall's Spring Story - Magnolia campbellii at The Lost Gardens of Heligan - Copyright The Nare

📷Credit Great Gardens of Cornwall

📷Credit Great Gardens of Cornwall

📷Credit Great Gardens of Cornwall

📷Credit Great Gardens of Cornwall

📷Photograph by Emily Whitfield-Wicks.

📷Photograph by Emily Whitfield-Wicks. Spring comes earlier to Cornwall than the rest of Britain. A Cornish Magnolia Campbelli tree is in full bloom at Tregothnan Nr Truro, showing the true sign of spring’s arrival in Britain. Managing Director and Proprietor of The ‘Nare' Hotel, Toby Ashworth showing one of the fallen blossoms to his seven year old Georgiana.

📷Credit: Great Gardens of Cornwall