Boston Flora

Month: April 2026

  • Friday, April 24 – Sunday, April 26 – Fiber Witch Festival: Song of the Sea

    Come to the Salem Fiber Witch Festival hosted by practicing witches in historic downtown Salem, Massachusetts, aka the Witch City.

    The main event is the Fiber Witch Market. Our Fiber Witch Market is hosted at Old Town Hall, which you may recognize from the beloved 90s movie, Hocus Pocus, and features indie yarn, farm yarn, arts, and handmade goods with a witchy vibe.

    The festival also includes exclusive tours around Salem, an exclusive party at the Hotel Salem, workshops, and more!

    Inclusivity note: Masks will be required at the Fiber Witch Market between 11 am and noon for all vendors, volunteers and attendees to allow immunocompromised folks to participate. For complete information visit https://www.fiberwitchfestival.com/

  • Thursday, April 23, 10:30 am – 11:45 am Eastern – The Roots of American Botany, Online

    Join the Morris Arboretum & Gardens on April 23 at 10:30 am for a free virtual conversation exploring Philadelphia’s rich botanical legacy through compelling stories of the past!

    Philadelphia is not only the birthplace of America; it is the birthplace of American botany. Widely celebrated as America’s Garden Capital, the city has also played a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s understanding of plant sciences.

    During this lively virtual discussion, hear examples of cutting-edge research tools Morris Arboretum & Gardens scientists as well as other members of the University of Pennsylvania research community are using to solve enduring botanical mysteries. Highlights include new research initiatives at Morris, an exploration of the genetics of Penn’s historic Penn Treaty Elm, and collaborative work in plant genetics with the Penn Museum. Register at https://www.morrisarboretum.org/see-do/events/roots-of-american-botany

  • Saturday, May 9, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm – New England Bumblebee ID

    Learn to identify New England bumblebees under a microscope and in the field on May 9 in a program sponsored by UMass Amherst Extension Agriculture Program. Review conservation status and habitat associations. Questions? Contact nicolebell@umass.edu. To register, visit https://ag.umass.edu/pollinators

  • Saturdays, May 2 – June 6 (excluding May 23), 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm – Master Urban Gardener Practicum

    For the first time ever The Boston Community Gardens Team will be hosting a hands on Master Urban Gardener (MUG) Practicum class. This is the perfect opportunity to hone your gardening skills in an intensive and hands on class at the peak of planting season. Explore what City Natives has to offer from a full greenhouse setup to rare fruit trees.

    This program is open to all, but is suggested in tandem with our winter or fall MUG sections.

    The cohort will be hosted weekly from May 2nd to June 6th (with Memorial Day weekend off) from 3-4:30pm at City Natives Greenhouse in Mattapan, 30 Edgewater Drive. This course will be sliding scale $0-150

    Please submit applications by April 20th

    To apply please submit the completed form here – 2026 Master Urban Gardener Practicum Application

    Questions? Email Max mfrancke@thetrustees.org

  • Wednesday, April 15, 5:30 pm – Climate Resilient Trees for Martha’s Vineyard

    In this free talk on Wednesday, April 15 at 5:30 pm, Polly Hill Arboretum Curator/Assistant Director Emily Ellingson will give an overview of how climate change is expected to impact Martha’s Vineyard and its flora, as well as provide a guide for tree selection in an uncertain future. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, it is unequivocal that widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, and biosphere have occurred since 1750. This has already affected weather and climate extremes. To move forward, systems and people need to adapt to this changing climate. Free and open to all. Pre-registration required due to limited capacity. Click here to register. Meet at the Polly Hill Arboretum Visitor Center: 795 State Road, West Tisbury, MA 02575

    Please note: there will be a short walk to the EBL building where the program will take place. If you need accessible parking, please contact info@pollyhillarboretum.org.

  • Tuesday, April 14, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Pollinators, Poisons, and Planting

    Wright-Locke Farms in Winchester is bringing back Farm Talks! This year, each community talk will focus on topics related to sustainability. First up, on April 14 at 7 pm, we host a panel discussion about pollinators, poisons, and planting. Learn what you can do to support healthy ecosystems in your yard and community. These talks will give you a wide range of information to be a better environmental steward, a cause very close to our hearts.

    These talks are FREE and open to the public, but please register as space is limited: https://wlfarm.org/farm-talk-april2026/


  • Thursday, April 9, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm Eastern – Poppy State, Online

    Poppy State: A Labyrinth of Plants and Beginnings is both a love letter to California and a literary tour de force that tells the story of resilience and reclamation through a relationship with plants, memory, myth, and indigenous knowledge. Author Myriam Gurba meditates on susto, a spiritual sickness specific to Latin America, and its culturally specific treatments such as herbalism, botanical spirits, and soil.

    Myriam Gurba is a writer and activist. Her first book, the short story collection Dahlia Season, won the Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction. O, the Oprah Magazine ranked her true-crime memoir Mean as one of the “Best LGBTQ Books of All Time.” Her recent essay collection Creep: Accusations and Confessions was a finalist for a National Book Critics Circle award for Criticism and won the Lambda Literary Award for Bisexual Nonfiction. She has written for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Harper’s Bazaar, Vox, and Paris Review.

    $15 for AHS members, $20 for nonmembers. Register with the American Horticultural Society HERE.

  • Saturdays, April 18, May 2, & May 9, 10:00 am – Pedal the Necklace


    This spring, we’re turning pedals into power. LiveableStreets, Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Mattapan Food & Fitness, Boston Cyclists Union, and community partners are coming together for a 3-part bike ride series along the Emerald Necklace and you are invited.


    Each ride will be at a relaxed pace for 3–4 miles, with volunteers helping lead us safely on bike paths and lanes through Boston and Brookline.
    We’re riding to raise awareness about the Emerald Necklace multi-use path and to amplify mobility justice across our city. This is about more than a bike ride. It’s about experiencing the city in a new way. This series is for everyone, new and seasoned riders. Thanks to Blue Bikes, a limited number of free bike vouchers will be available for riders who need a bike.

    Ride Dates and Time
    Time: 10:00 am meeting, 10:30 am roll out
    Saturday, 4/18
    Franklin Park → Jamaica Pond
    Saturday, 5/2
    Jamaica Pond → Shattuck Visitor Center
    Saturday, 5/9
    Shattuck Visitor Center → Boston Common


    Each ride builds on the next as we move through the city and amplify the call for safer, more connected, and more equitable bike infrastructure. REGISTER HERE.

  • Thursdays, April 9, May 14, & June 18 – Welcome Back Birds! Online

    Celebrate the return of birds with Cornell Lab of Ornithology this spring! If you are excited to hear your favorite springtime birds again and want to learn more about the magic of migration, this free series is for you! Upon registration you will receive invitations to all three live events, and after each event you will be sent the recording, n addition to resources all season long to help you connect more deeply with your spring visitors. Participants also receive a discount on Bird Academy courses, plus one lucky attendee at each live event will be randomly chosen to receive a free Bird Academy course.

    Join us April through June for a free 3-part virtual celebration with the Cornell Lab:

    April 9 | Bird Songs of Spring
    🎶 Learn them with us! Let’s listen to some of our favorite sounds of April.

    May 14 | Bird Migration in Your Backyard
    🪶 Celebrate your favorite new arrivals and learn answers to common questions about how they made the journey.

    June 18 | How to Support Birds All Summer Long
    🐣 Set up your yard, pick up on signs that birds are nesting near you, and keep your eyes peeled for special summer bird sights!

    Register at https://dl.allaboutbirds.org/welcome-back-birds

  • Saturday, May 2, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm – Sakonnet Plant Fair

    The Fifth Annual Sakonnet Plant Fair will take place on Saturday, May 2, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm at 3 Meeting House Lane in Little Compton, Rhode Island. This event is a benefit for the Little Compton Village Improvement Society, and over 35 vendors and specialty growers are expected to attend. There will be coffee, music, food, book signings, and the opportunity to purchase annuals, perennials, herbs, native plants, vegetables, trees, bulbs, and tropicals. For more information visit https://www.sakonnetgarden.net/