Cherry blossom trees start to bloom for 2025 season around NYC. See how to track their peak.
Washington, D.C. cherry blossoms reach their peak for 2025
, trees around New York and New Jersey are starting to bloom.
Some flowers have already been spotted in Central Park, while others are in full bloom at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens.
From the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to Branch Brook Park, here's everything to know about when to stop and smell the blossoms around our area.
The garden, tucked near the entrance of Prospect Park, says bloom times change from year-to-year but typically range from late March to mid-May.
The first trees often blossom around the same time as the garden's daffodils, and the rest will follow within the next four weeks or so. Each tree only flowers for about a week, so there is never a moment when all trees are in bloom at once.
According to its
CherryWatch tracker
, most trees are still in what's called "prebloom," while two species have started to flower.
Two Prunus 'Fudan-zakura' trees, located in different parts of the garden, and one Prunus × subhirtella 'Jugatsu-zakura' tree are said to be in the "first bloom" stage.
The garden has 26 species in its Flowering Cherry Collection, spread out across its Cherry Cultivars Area, Plant Family Collection, Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, Osborne Garden, Cherry Walk and Cherry Esplanade.
New York City's other botanical garden in the Bronx says its early season cherry trees have also started to flower. Its mid and late season cherries haven't started to bud yet.
The garden says Prunus × incam 'Okame' is the star of the early season, followed by these others:
The NYBG has 500 cherry trees on view in its Cherry Valley, Ross Conifer Arboretum and along the southern perimeter.
Check out its
online cherry bloom tracker HERE
.
Branch Brook Park, which runs through Newark and Belleville, is also
known for its beautiful cherry blossoms
. Each year, it hosts the
annual Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival
.
This year's festival is from April 5 to April 13. The first weekend features a bike race and 10k run, followed by a Family Day on Saturday, April 12 and Bloomfest on Sunday, April 13. Watch a live webcam from the park
HERE
.
Another popular spot outside the city is Wooster Square in New Haven, Conn., where they're hosting their
52nd annual Cherry Blossom Festival
on Sunday, April 6. The event kicks off at noon with food and live music.
Perhaps one of the most famous places to see the cherry blossoms is
the nation's capital in Washington, D.C.
Japan gifted more than 3,000 cherry trees to the United States in 1912 as a symbol of friendship.
They are situated around the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park and along the Potomac River and Washington Channel in East Potomac Park.
According
to the National Park Service
, the trees hit peak bloom with a burst of pink and white on Friday, March 28. Officials say peak bloom is reached when 70% of blossoms on the Yoshino cherry trees around the Tidal Basin are open.
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