Cherry Esplanade in Bloom

If you've been waiting to come and see Cherry Esplanade and Cherry Walk in bloom, now is the time to take a trip to BBG! The two allées of Prunus 'Kanzan' on Cherry Esplanade began to open on Monday and should be in peak bloom by Thursday afternoon and continue through this weekend's Sakura Matsuri cherry blossom festival.

Cherry Walk, the gently meandering path behind the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden, has also burst into bloom. The first cherry trees were planted here by the BBG Auxiliary in 1921 and two trees from the original planting are still there today.

The blooming of the 'Kanzan' trees often signals the beginning of the end for the cherry blossom season at BBG. Within a week these abundant blossoms will begin to fall creating petal strewn pathways. Hanami, the month-long celebration of cherry blossom watching, officially ends on May 1, though there may still be some blossoms during BBG's Plant Sale next week if the weather is mild.

To keep track of the bloom status of the trees, check the daily updates on the Cherry Watch Map.