Cherry blossoms are the national flower of Japan. The Japanese believe that this flower represents the fragility and beauty of life. Cherry blossoms last for only one to two weeks, flying away almost as quickly as they bloom. Every cherry blossom season, tourists and natives attend festivals in Japan and around the world to enjoy these gorgeous flowers and celebrate Japanese food, music and culture.
The first cherry trees in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden were a gift from the Japanese government and planted after World War I. Today, the garden features 200 cherry trees and over 40 varieties. Cherry blossom season in Brooklyn runs from early April to mid May.
We began our visit with a leisurely stroll through the picturesque Cherry Esplanade, which is a beautiful green field bordered by two rows of cherry trees. The Esplanade was in full bloom during our visit.
Most cherry blossom varieties produce light pink to white blossoms, but there are also cherry trees with dark pink, yellow or green blossoms. We also spotted a Japanese kimono during our visit.
We began our visit with a leisurely stroll through the picturesque Cherry Esplanade, which is a beautiful green field bordered by two rows of cherry trees. The Esplanade was in full bloom during our visit.
We also stopped by the Japanese Hill and Pond Garden. This area typically peaks earlier in April, but we saw the post bloom cherry trees. We saw lots of colorful koi fish in the pond as well as a small turtle. Next year, we plan to visit the garden when this area is in bloom.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden tracks the blooming of the cherry trees on the Cherry Watch. Before your visit you will know which flowers are pre bloom, first bloom, peak bloom and post bloom.
We also explored the garden grounds to see the other flowers in bloom.
"...The cherry blossom represents the fragility and the beauty of life. It's a reminder that life is almost overwhelmingly beautiful but that it is also tragically short."––Homer Cantu
