The “Let’s Talk About Parks” series is designed to encourage exploration and discovery of Pittsburgh’s urban parks.

In Pittsburgh’s parks, the woodlands are waking up. Birds are returning, bits of green are beginning to sprout from the ground, and, as longer days bring more hours of sunlight, tree buds that formed in the summer and lay dormant during the winter are beginning to grow.

All this means that soon we will be treated to the sight of flowering trees showing off their blooms. Here are a few that you won’t want to miss and some tips on where to find them.

The creamy pink and white blossoms of the magnolia tree are recognizable by their saucer-like shape. Magnolias are an ancient species of tree, dating back 95 million years. They are unusual in that they are typically pollinated by beetles, not bees or butterflies, as they do not produce nectar, only pollen. You can see magnolias blooming in Schenley, Riverview and Frick parks, as well as in Mellon Square Downtown.

Redbud can be found in wooded areas of all the major city parks, as well as at Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park. This tree produces delicate clouds of magenta pink blossoms that contrast beautifully with the tree’s dark brown branches. Redbud blossoms appear on bare stems, before the tree’s leaves appear.

The fringetree, also known as Grancy Graybeard and Old Man’s Beard, gets its name from the pure white flowers that hang from its branches in late spring and early summer. You can find fringetree in Schenley Park, Panther Hollow and near the Schenley Park Visitor’s Center.

Crabapple trees produce vibrant pink and white blossoms that have a lovely sweet smell. Crabapple trees are plentiful in our parks; look for a particularly spectacular display along Beacon Street in Schenley Park.

Pennsylvania hawthorn, also known as Tatnall's hawthorn, produces softly colored flowers that look much like a crabapple. Hawthorn blossoms produce an unpleasant odor, however, and as a result, the lowly hawthorn is more likely to be seen in the woodlands than in someone’s home garden or yard.

To learn more, go to www.pittsburghparks.org/letstalkaboutparks.

First Published: March 24, 2015, 4:00 a.m.