The places to go and see cherry blossoms in bloom

Brooklyn Botanic Garden, New York

 

It is famous for its spectacular and vibrant tulips in the spring, but it’s also home to 42 different species of cherry blossom trees, The different species take turns blooming from late-March to mid-May. However, if you want to join the celebration, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden throws a popular cherry blossom festival, called Sakura Matsuri, usually during the last weekend in April.

Throughout most of Japan, blooming typically occurs in late March and early April. Some areas may produce blooms as early as January. The emergence of the first blossoms is called kaika – this emergence of flowers in usually what is indicated by the bloom forecasts. The peak, or mankai – the time when the most trees are in full bloom – occurs within about one week of emergence. In some years, the season extends into the month of May in the northern regions.

USA cherry blossom goods

  Japan

From Okinawa to Hokkaido, cherry blossom season in Japan is magical. The Japanese view the short-lived blossoms as a reminder of the impermanence of beauty and life — a bittersweet and poetic symbol that reached its peak during the hanami (a.k.a. flower-viewing) season following the devastating 2011 earthquake. In Hokkaido, expect a double dose of blossoms, as the plum and cherry trees tend to flower at the same time. When to Go: Starting from the south, you can expect blossoms to start in early- to mid-March, while spots around Nagoya and Tokyo are typically two weeks behind. More northerly locations can hit full bloom as late as May, depending on weather.


Japanese cherry blossom goods



Japan cherry blossom lights

Longwangtang Cherry Blossom Park, China

 The oldest of China‘s cherry blossom trees are WWII-era beauties planted during the Japanese occupation of China from 1937 to 1945. Normally, the area where the trees are planted doesn’t offer much to look at, but come cherry blossom season, the dam becomes lined with gorgeous pink and white blooms, and the crowds follow. It’s one of the best spots in China to view blossoms, though folks can also experience them in more trafficked places like Shanghai. 

 Handmade classical cherry blossom chinese craft

 

Botanical Garden of Curitiba, Brazil 

 The trees at the Botanical Garden of Curitiba may have only been planted in the 1990s, but cherry trees are no stranger to this region in southern Brazil. About 110 years ago, when the Japanese began immigrating to Brazil, they brought along their cherished cherry blossom seedlings. (Fun fact: Brazil has the largest population of Japanese people outside of Japan.) 

 Japanese cherry blossom

 

Parc de Sceaux, France

 A day trip to these cherry tree orchards just six miles south of Paris is a must. Here, you’ll find two separate orchards — one with all pink-blossomed trees and another with 150 all white-blossomed trees. Be sure to bring your camera. However, if you can’t bring yourself to leave the City of Lights, stroll over to Parc du Champ de Mars near the Eiffel Tower to take in a few rows of blossoming trees.

 Bath and body works cherry blossom

 

Jerte Valley, Spain 

 If you want to welcome the spring in style, then head for the Jerte Valley, close to Cáceres (Extremadura). If you make it you will get to witness a real natural wonder. Each year, around the second fortnight in March, the cherry trees open their flowers, covering the mountainsides in impressive swathes of white. 

 cherry blossom on your skin

Take an unhurried stroll on the tracks and trails between the valley's villages. What better way to leave the winter behind and delight in the new season?

cherry blossom surrounding a church