From a cemetery to an island: The best places to see cherry blossoms in NYC and when to visit
Cherry blossoms at Little Island. Photo Credit: Liz Ligon
Sara Evans is the Director of the Living Collections and Curator at The Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. While that title may sound ironic given her workplace, cemeteries are home to a large breadth of plant life. This includes cherry blossom trees, of which Green-Wood has 172.
There are two predominant types of cherry blossoms at the cemetery: The Yoshino Cherry and the Kanzan Japanese flowering cherry.
While the exact timing of when cherry blossoms bloom is fickle and unpredictable, in New York City, April is the month to look for them. Last year, the Yoshino flowers began emerging the second week of April and the Kansan the last week, according to Evans.
In Washington, D.C., the country’s premiere cherry blossom destination, the blossoms reached peak bloom at the end of March, with over a million tourists visiting for the festival each year. And while D.C. is a shortish train, bus, or plane ride away from New York City, there’s no need to venture out of the city to get your fix. But be quick, as the blossoms only last for one to two weeks, says Evans.
To ensure they look their finest, Evans said routine pruning and soil maintenance is done. “For a couple of our most veteran (i.e., old) Yoshino cherries, we have installed props (i.e., struts) under limbs that are at risk of breaking for added support,” she said.
“These props are made from the Atlantic white cedar trees used in Maya Lin’s Ghost Forest, which was an installation in Madison Square Park in 2021.”
Aside from Green-Wood, there are several places in New York City to bask in the peacefulness of cherry blossoms, a pretty sign of warmer days ahead. Here are a few more places to check out.
NYC Parks
The first and easiest place to look for cherry blossoms is around the city’s many public parks. Among the list of best parks to view the flowers, according to the city, is Sakura Park along Riverside Drive on the Upper West Side. The cherry trees were a gift from Japan in 1912. Dozens of Yoshino cherry trees blossom here, usually in early April, NYC Parks writes. Other must-visit spots include Randall’s Island, Silver Lake Park on Staten Island, and, of course, Central Park, which hosts cherry blossom tours along the Reservoir.
Harlem River Greenway
Located in Inwood along the Harlem River Greenway are 80 cherry blossom trees planted via the MillionTreesNYC Initiative with NYC Parks in 2007. Looking over the river along the bike path, the esplanade is “the perfect place to experience cherry trees along the water without the crowds,” a spokesperson says. The New York Restoration Project was founded by Bette Midler. In 2015, the one millionth tree of the MillionTreesNYC Initiative was planted in the Bronx, with Midler in attendance.
Little Island
“We have four beautiful Yoshino Cherry Trees on Little Island,” shared a spokesperson. “Our landscape architect, Signe Nielsen, selected these because of their single petal flowers that bloom before the leaves appear, white to very pale pink color, almond-scented fragrance, graceful broad crown, yellow to bronze tinged fall color, shiny bark and deep green summer foliage.”
Visitors can learn more about the cherry trees and the landscape by listening to the Landscape Audio Tour narrated by Nielsen.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s website has an interactive “cherry watch” map to ensure you don’t miss peak bloom. From April 22 to April 25, the garden will host Hanami Nights with “magical” access to the Kanzan trees.
“Find a spot on Cherry Esplanade to enjoy the cherry blossoms, lit up for maximum effect, and savor the spring vibe with family and friends. Stroll in the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden and along Cherry Walk, try your hand at origami, and view a curated display of bonsai in the Lillian and Amy Goldman Atrium,” the description reads.
Then, from April 26 through May 11, Weekends in Bloom celebrates cherry blossom season and spring blooms at the garden. April 27 is all about Japanese classical and folk music and dance.
New York Botanical Garden
With the most extensive collection on this list, the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx houses a whopping 543 cherry trees on its 250 acres of 82 different species, hybrids, and cultivated varieties, the garden shares online. See them at Cherry Valley, Ross Conifer Arboretum, along NYBG’s southern perimeter, and the paths and roadways throughout the garden. With different varieties blooming at different times, the garden offers an online tracker.
“Cherries have always been an important component of NYBG’s living collections…ornamental specimens were used in displays and decorative plantings at entrances and other central areas from the very beginning of the Botanical Garden’s construction in the 1890s,” the garden’s site states.
“By 1910, the popularity of the flowering cherries among visitors inspired us to set aside a greater portion of the Deciduous Arboretum for a display of more than 100 Japanese flowering cherries.”
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