Cherry blossom season in New York City shows up for a few weeks each spring. One day, the trees look bare, and then suddenly there’s pale pink along park paths and open lawns. They appear along familiar routes and places you might pass by day to day. Here’s where to find the prettiest blooms this year.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Brooklyn Botanic Garden is one of the most recognized places in the country to see flowering cherries. The garden has more than 200 cherry trees, including early and late-blooming varieties that cover the entire season.
The Cherry Esplanade is the centerpiece, with rows of Japanese flowering cherries that line a wide lawn. It creates a canopy effect when trees reach peak bloom. The garden tracks bloom stages each spring through its CherryWatch update page, which notes when trees enter first bloom and peak bloom.
Bloom season usually begins in late March and continues through April. Sometimes, later varieties stretch into early May, depending on weather.
New York Botanical Garden
The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx features more than 500 flowering cherry trees across its 250 acres. Trees are scattered throughout the garden, and along walking paths that open onto wider spaces.
The different varieties of trees bloom at different points in the season. Early trees can appear in late March, and others follow through April and sometimes into May. The Garden also has an online bloom tracker during cherry season to provide updates on timing.
Manhattan
Central Park
Central Park offers multiple cherry blossom locations within one park. Cherry Hill near Bethesda Terrace and Pilgrim Hill on the Upper East Side features large groups of cherry trees. And, the Reservoir loop includes scattered blossoms along the path.
Sakura Park
Sakura Park in Morningside Heights has some of the most beloved trees in the city. They were gifted from Japan in 1912, giving the park its name. The park is compact and walkable. Trees are gathered along pathways and lawns. When blossoms peak, the smaller setting creates a quieter viewing experience.
Queens
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Flushing Meadows Corona Park features early blooming Okame cherry trees near the Unisphere. The wide paths make it easy to view trees from multiple angles. Early spring visitors usually find blossoms here before other parts of the city reach peak bloom.
Kissena Park
Kissena Park includes flowering cherries along its paths and near the lake. The park’s larger space spreads trees out, which creates a quieter setting for those who prefer less-crowded viewing areas.
Staten Island
Silver Lake Park
Silver Lake Park offers cherry trees along walking paths and near the water. The park’s hills and open spaces provide a different perspective on the spring bloom season, with trees set against skyline and lake views.
Some Valuable Tips for Cherry Blossom Season in NYC
Peak bloom can change a bit each year based on winter temperatures and early spring weather. Most trees flower between late March and mid to late April.
Yoshino cherries bloom first and display pale pink to white petals. Kwanzan cherries bloom later and produce fuller clusters in deeper pink tones.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s CherryWatch tracker provides bloom stage updates throughout the season. The New York Botanical Garden also shares bloom information during cherry season.
Cherry blossom season in New York City moves quickly, but it comes to every borough. But, you’ll have to catch it while it lasts!
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