There is a park near New York City where there are more cherry blossoms than in Washington.

It must be said that Branch Brook Park in Newark, New Jersey has more cherry blossoms than Washington, D.C. Travel Leisure tells how to visit this park in April.

The sheer number of cherry blossom trees in such close proximity to New York City amazes visitors. Washington, D.C., boasts a collection of 3800 trees. However, the much lesser-known Branch Brook actually outshines Washington by a whopping 1500 trees.

Situated just 19 miles west of New York City, the park is a 145-acre green space with over 5300 trees 18 varieties. This is the largest collection of cherry blossoms in the country. This year, the park celebrated its 49th anniversary of the festival Essex County Cherry Blossom. Events continued through April 30.

Peak of flowering

Unlike other areas where the peak of bloom is waning or has already passed, Branch Brook is in the middle of bloom season. This year, the peak will last until April 18, according to the Branch Brook Park Alliance.

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The park was designed in 1867 by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, best known for his work on New York City's Central Park. Branch Brook was the first county park in the country to be opened to the public. It is on the national and state registers of historic places, among other things.

The park first began blooming in 1927, when philanthropist Caroline Bamberger Fuld donated 2500 cherry blossom trees. By 1978, the annual Cherry Blossom Festival had become a public celebration. By 2006, many of the original trees had died due to age. An aggressive planting program was then launched to strengthen the existing trees and increase their numbers.

On peak days, the number of visitors exceeds 10. Last year, the $000 million Cherry Blossom Visitor Center opened.