Cherry Blossoms: 7 Trees to See at Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Festival - Gardenista
It’s cherry blossoms season—the few weeks in April when delicate, cotton candy-colored flowers are everywhere, casting a rosy hue on city streets and Instagram feeds.
Photography by Alison Engstrom.
This weekend the Brooklyn Botanic Garden celebrates its annual Sakura Matsuri festival, with a dazzling collection of flowering cherry trees in the Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden and Cherry Esplanade.
We headed over to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden the other day on a quiet morning, just after a rain.
A mature Prunus ‘Kanzan’ tree, planted in the 1960s, arches over a pathway.
Prunus ‘Kanzan’
The wise old Prunus ‘Kanzan’ tree has patina: note the moss-covered bark.
The botanic garden’s cherry curators provide loving support for cherry trees when needed.
Blooms of the ‘Kanzan’ cultivar (previously known as ‘Sekiyama’) are bubblegum pink, “borne in hanging clusters of two to five blossoms.”
‘Shogetsu’ blooms in a rocky glen. How to Find It: Wend your way around the pond; to the left is a quiet Prunus serrulata ‘Sogetsu’ tree, nestled among camellias and ground cover.
Prunus serrulata ‘Sogetsu’
The ‘Sogetsu’ cultivar is known for its “shell-pink buds.” The name means “moon hanging low by a pine tree.”
Fluffy clouds of flowers create a pink canopy. How to Find It: Stepping off a small bridge from the Japanese Garden you’l find yourself in Cherry Walk, where the centerpiece is Prunus serrulata ‘Horinji,’.
Prunus serrulata ‘Horinji’
“This profusely flowering small tree is named for an ancient Buddhist temple in Kyoto,” Hōrin-ji, the Botanic Garden says.
The fluffy, soft pink and white flowers of Prunus serrulata ‘Kuramayama’ are best viewed from below. You’ll see it blooming alongside the path.
Prunus serrulata ‘Kuramayama’
The Botanic Garden labels the cultivars with hammered-tin tags for easy identification.
The blooms of the Prunus serrulata ‘Ojochin’ variety—which means “large lantern”—hang in bunches. Where to Find It: Walk to the north end of the Cherry Esplanade and turn right, toward the pond.
Prunus serrulata ‘Ojochin’
The buds, caught in a spring rain.
Prunus ‘Taoyame’
Shown here slightly past peak bloom, with deep-colored leaves and backs. Where to Find It: Dotted within Cherry Walk and the Cherry Cultivars area is the delicate ‘Taoyame’ variety.
On the Esplanade, oft-photographed rows of ‘Kanzan’ trees boast the cultivar’s “extravagant” blooms. Why It’s Special: A breathtaking walkway of hazy pink flowers.
Prunus ‘Kanzan’ on the Esplanade
‘Kanzan’ trees are the most prevalent at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, creating canopies of pink.
Can You Identify the Cherry Blossoms?
The blooms of mid-April, in gradients of rose and white. And for more on the varieties in bloom throughout the season, see the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Flowering Cherry Collection.