Flower Bulb Day. Photo by Dana Flynn
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One of San Francisco’s most popular spring traditions is Flower Bulb Day, where thousands of tulips transform Union Square into a beautiful garden, and San Franciscans are invited to pick their own bouquet for free. The free pop-up garden will take over Union Square in Downtown San Francisco on Saturday, March 21, 2026.
The event has become a beloved tradition to kick off spring, with hundreds lining up early in the morning to pick free bouquets. The best part of the event is that the tulips still have bulbs, so you can plant them in your garden (or in pots) for them to continue growing. The urban garden has over 80,000 tulips, an impressive sight that covers Union Square for the day. Each person may select 6 tulips before exiting the garden, with wide, colorful varieties.
Flower Bulb Day in 2025. Photo by Dana Flynn
Flower Bulb Day officially opens to the public at 1 pm and closes by 4:30 pm, as all the tulips will be picked by the afternoon. While the garden will open at 1 pm, many San Franciscans wait in line for hours to have first pick of the tulips. If you plan to attend, we recommend being prepared for long lines and crowds, as the event has grown in popularity.
Photo by Dana Flynn for Secret SF
Even if you don’t want to wait in line for tulips, it’s still a very charming sight to see Union Square filled with tulips, and you can expect to see people walking around Downtown SF with their freshly picked bouquets throughout the afternoon.
Union Square isn’t the only place you can see spring flowers in San Francisco. We recommend venturing to the Queen Wilhelmina Garden in Golden Gate Park, which blooms with tulips every year, or the beautiful Magnolia trees in the San Francisco Botanical Garden, which are currently blooming.
Flower Bulb Day in San Francisco is on March 21, 2026, at 1 pm. Due to the crowds expected at the event, we recommend taking public transit to Union Square. You can learn more about Flower Bulb Day here.