Where and when to enjoy cherry blossom views in New York

After months of dismal weather in New York City, cherry blossom season has finally arrived. This means that more than 40 ornamental cherry trees across the city will be strewn with white and pink petals over the next month, drawing thousands of people. New York Times.

Here's an overview of what types of cherry blossoms you can find in New York, when they bloom and where you can find them.

When is cherry blossom season peak?

As soon as the tree begins to bloom, and it blooms for about 10 days. But exactly when each tree begins to bloom depends on a combination of daylight and temperature. Which is hard to predict. Most New York cherry trees bloom by mid-April, although some species bloom a little earlier or later.

Brooklyn Botanic Gardens digital media director Elizabeth Peter said her team updates its cherry blossom tracker in the morning by checking each cherry tree. This helps determine whether it is in pre-flowering, first-flowering (when about 10 percent of its flowers are open), peak-flowering (when about half of its flowers are open), or post-peak (when about 10 percent of its flowers remain).

“When my friends ask me when cherry blossoms peak, I don't like the question,” she said. – We are monitoring the process, but we are not waiting for the moment when the largest number of trees will bloom. Because every moment is special.”

According to Ms. Peters, the earliest trees usually start blooming when the warm weather stays above 16 degrees Celsius for several days. But a little coolness after the first bloom can cause the flowers to last longer.

“If a tree blooms, and then we have something like what is happening now, when the weather returns to cooler weather, it kind of cools the trees and preserves the flowers so that people can enjoy them for longer,” said Ms. Peters.

“We had years when the heat came on suddenly. Trees could fully bloom almost overnight, and then after five days they would lose their petals,” she added.

What types of cherry trees can be found in New York?

The Brooklyn Botanical Garden has 26 species of flowering cherry trees. And across the city, the three most common species are Okame, Yoshino and Kwanzan, the New York City Parks Department said.

Pink-flowered Okame usually begins to bloom in late March. And Yoshino (white flowers) and Kwanzan (up to 28 pink petals per flower) may still bloom in late April or early May.

Jennifer Greenfeld, Assistant Commissioner for the Parks Department, said he takes care of thousands of ornamental cherry trees.

“These are really wonderful trees because they are not very tall. You can plant them under utility lines,” said Ms. Greenfeld. “We have long-term contracts with nurseries that grow these trees especially for us in New York.”

Although the branches of cherry trees hang quite low, which is not suitable for city streets, some nurseries train tree branches to grow higher.

Where is the best place to see cherry blossoms in New York?

By entering “Japanese Cherry Blossom Variety” on Map of street trees New York City Parks Department, you can see the exact location of thousands of cherry trees.

Sakura Park, located in Manhattan's Morningside Heights, takes its name from the 2000 cherry trees that were shipped to New York City parks from Japan in 1912. Nearby, in Cherry Walk Riverside Park, cherry trees grow along the walkway from 100th Street to 125th Street. Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem has a small alley of cherry trees at the entrance to 5th Avenue and 124th Street.

Most cherry trees in Central Park grow between 72nd and 96th streets. There are 35 Yoshino trees on the east side of the Central Park Reservoir (and many pink cherry trees on the west side). BUT on his website Many other popular locations are listed, including Cherry Hill, Pilgrim Hill, Great Lawn, and Cedar Hill.

In downtown, late-blooming Kwanzan trees can be found in Union Square and Madison Square Park, as well as a few Yoshino trees that bloom in Washington Square Park.

There are more than 200 cherry trees on the grounds of the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. Including a number of pink weeping varieties next to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. The garden's spring bloom tracking system shows the current bloom status of sakura, magnolias, daffodils, azaleas, peonies, lilacs and roses. Pelham Bay Park also has Yoshino cherry trees next to the City Island Bridge.

On May 1st, Randalls Island hosts the Cherry Blossom Festival, but the trees will bloom earlier than that near City Island Farm and Fields 62 and 63. Roosevelt Island, between Manhattan and Queens, has its own collection of cherry trees that can be seen along the island's West Waterfront.

In Queens, in Crown Flushing Meadows Park, next to the Unisphere, there is a wonderful collection of Okame cherry trees. According to the Parks Department, they are usually among the first to bloom in the city. Long Island City at Hunters Point South Park is adorned with a ring of Yoshino cherry trees that frame the waterfront park.

The Queens Botanical Gardens has ornamental trees in Cherry Circle, while Rainey Park in Astoria has its own collection of Okame and Kwanzan cherry blossoms on the banks of the East River.

In Brooklyn, Green-Wood Cemetery houses a collection of 172 cherry trees. On April 20, the Hanami festival (which translates as “viewing flowers”) will take place. Smaller spectacles can also be found at Prospect Park (near the Grand Army Plaza entrance), Maria Hernandez Park in Bushwick, and Sunset Park.

The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens has over 200 cherry trees, 76 of which can be found along its famous Cherry Esplanade. His annual Sakura Matsuri Festival, which used to draw up to 50 people over the weekend, has been canceled for the third year in a row due to the pandemic. But the garden has extended opening hours and extended cherry blossom programs for three weekends. Elizabeth Reina-Longoria, director of marketing and communications for The garden, said free public tickets will be available to the public throughout the cherry blossom season.

Staten Island has trees scattered throughout Conference House Park and Clove Lakes Park. There are also trees on the north side of the lake at Silver Lake Park and along Cottage Row at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden. (You can use the Staten Island Parks Department Bloom Guide to find out when some of these trees bloom.)

And if you're up for a trip to New Jersey, the Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival takes place at Branch Brook Park in Newark, NJ from April 2-10. There, people can see 5000 cherry trees, one of the largest collections in the United States.

If you miss the cherry blossoms, don't worry. Ms. Peters of the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens said cherry blossoms are just the start of a great season.

“People love cherries because they give us all a reason to celebrate,” she said. “But this year we are trying to showcase many of our other colors. After all, in spring you can love not only sakura.”