This season is coming up roses.
The beautiful cherry blossom trees are blooming across the five boroughs this week thanks to a burst in sunshine and long-awaited spring weather.
Fortunately, New York City has hundreds of acres of gorgeous flower power — and hundreds of different types of cherry blossoms to witness in their full glory.
April is prime time for cherry blossom viewing in New York City. China News Service via Getty Images“It’s a signal to everybody that winter is over and spring has begun,” Todd Forrest, the head of horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), told The Post.
“An individual flowering cherry is something that you can walk beneath and you can beneath and you walk around — it just has so much presence and so much mass … It motivates people to go out and see something and experience it and give some kind of hope.”
Here is everything you need to know about cherry blossom viewing in the Big Apple.
When do cherry blossoms bloom in NYC?
April is known as the optimal blossoming period in the five boroughs, but because there are so many different types of trees and because of how expansive the city is, the season actually lasts much longer.
“The discerning cherry lover has about a month or so of opportunity to sort of relish the flowering cherries across the city,” Forrest explained.
Brooklyn typically sees the first blooms of the season, closely followed by Manhattan and then the Bronx.
The blossoming also depends on cherry variation — the Okame cherries burst last month, while the Kanzan and Fugenzo cherries are known to bloom closer to mid-May.
There is an Okame cherry tree grove near the Unisphere at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. China News Service via Getty ImagesWeather can also greatly impact when the flowers bloom and how long the bulbs maintain their iconic star shape.
“The fleeting nature of Japanese cherries or top long cherries is their appeal. They only last for maybe four or five days, and if it gets really hot, that can be shorter, or if it’s cool, it could be a little bit longer. But if it rains, the flower petals might get blown off,” said Forrest.
“They are a brief but intense spectacle.”
Donna Grace/NY Post DesignWhat types of cherry trees are in NYC?
New York City boasts just about every type of Japanese cherry blossom tree variation in existence — and there are more than 200 different kinds.
NYBG alone has about 60 variants, while the Brooklyn Botanical Garden has 26.
Okame and Kwanzan are some of the most famous types of cherries and are known for their blush pink colors, while the Yoshino is a snow-like white.
They also differ in form and shape — the Yaezakura bundles have more than the typical five flowers, while Kanhizakura flora is almost bell-shaped.
There are even ancient types, like the Weeping Cherry Blossom, which was gifted to the NYBG from Japan from a parent tree that was planted more than 1,000 years ago — and is expected to bloom this weekend.
The “fleeting” nature of the cherry blossoms are a big appeal, according to Todd Forrest. The Washington Post via Getty ImagesThe best places to see cherry blossoms in NYC
Fortunately, there is an abundance of hotspots to catch a glimpse of the cherry blossom burst across the five boroughs each year.
“The wise play for anybody in New York City, New Yorker or otherwise, is to make an effort to see many flowering cherries in all five boroughs. That would be a viable use of someone’s time,” said Forrest.
“Appreciate the flowering cherry — recognize that every single one of those was planted by somebody who had the foresight to plant something beautiful for the benefit not just of themselves, but for other people. And that’s a good way to go about life.”
New York Botanical Garden
The premiere Bronx institution has more than 500 cherry blossom trees scattered across its entire 250-acre property but has three dedicated spaces for the gorgeous flowers: Cherry Valley, the Ross Conifer Arboretum and along the garden’s southern perimeter.
The NYBG also has cherries planted as “accent and ornamental trees” throughout the entire park, so the entire park is prime viewing for the blossoming — making the garden’s blossoming tracker almost unnecessary.
There are more than 200 different types of Cherry Blossom trees. Getty ImagesFlushing Meadows Corona Park
The sprawling park has its very own grove of Okame cherry trees located right next to the Unisphere and New York State Pavilion, making for a picturesque nature trip at zero cost.
The flowers began blooming earlier this week, meaning this weekend could be the optimal time for a walk beneath the stunning foliage.
Central Park
There are three pristine spots at the Manhattan greenspace to catch the cherry trees — and the best part is that they are designed so guests can make three separate trips.
The bride path on the west side is optimal in early spring to see the Okame cherry trees, while Yoshinos bloom in mid-April in their namesake Cherry Hill near the reservoir. At the season’s end, the Kwanzan trees, also at the reservoir, put on a final show.
“The discerning cherry lover has about a month or so of opportunity to sort of relish the flowering cherries across the city,” Forrest explained. Getty ImagesBrooklyn Botanical Garden
The Brooklyn Botanical Garden is one of the most popular spots to enjoy the blooming cherries, which can be found at multiple locations throughout the center — including at the front gate.
Guests can find them at the appropriately named Cherry Walk, Cherry Cultivars Area and Cherry Esplanade, as well as the Osbourne Garden and enclosed Japanese Hill and Pond Garden. Plus, there are about a dozen cherry bonsai trees inside the conservatory. Guests can follow the blooms along on the garden’s Cherry Watch.
Snug Harbor Culture Center and Botanical Garden
The Staten Island center is one of the best spots in the borough to spot the cherry blossoms this spring, with plenty of trees to be found at its Chinese Scholar’s Garden.
The garden, celebrating its 25th anniversary, also has stunning rock sculptures and architecture in the style of the classical Ming Dynasty — providing the perfect backdrop to appreciate the cherry blossoms in all their glory.





