Mysterious Artwork Blooms Between Pentagon City, Crystal City

(Updated at 2 p.m.) A series of spray-painted flowers have bloomed on streets and trails around Pentagon City and Crystal City — but no one we’ve talked to is quite sure who’s responsible for them.

Eagle-eyed ARLnow reader Margot Duzak says she first spotted the flowers popping up in the area last Thursday (Aug. 30), without any explanation.

The flowers come in a whole host of colors and designs, with some running along 12th Street S., between S. Fern Street and S. Eads Street, on curbs and a trail not far from the Pentagon City Metro station.

From there, the artwork extends on curbs, sidewalks and bike lanes on S. Eads Street up until it meets 15th Street S., near the road’s intersection with Jefferson Davis Highway in Crystal City.

But the flowers aren’t the work of the county government — spokeswoman Jennifer Smith says she couldn’t find anyone responsible for the blooms, noting that staffers with the county’s Department of Environmental Services, Walk Arlington and Bike Arlington were all unaware of the flowers.

Crystal City Business Improvement District Chief Operating Officer Rob Mandle was similarly stumped.

Some colorful, flower-decorated bikes have also started popping up in the area of spray-painted flowers.

While the artist responsible may be unknown, for now, Duzak says the art is quite the welcome addition to the neighborhood.

“The bike lanes and sidewalks have never looked better,” she said.