Here’s When You’ll See Philly Cherry Blossoms in Peak Bloom

Photo by PongsakornJun/iStck

Despite the fact that Mother Nature dumped a half-foot of snow on us last week, it’s officially spring. That means cherry blossoms.

Peak cherry blossom season in Philly will arrive a little later than normal this year (thanks to Winter Storm Toby and March’s other nor’easters). According to the Shofuso Japanese House and Garden in West Fairmount Park (the best spot to peep cherry blossoms in the city), peak bloom is expected to occur between April 8th to 15th. So mark your calendars!

Aaron Dilliplane, director of special projects for the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia, said the organization originally expected peak bloom to unfold in late March (since the weather was fairly mild in February). But the snowstorms this month wiped out any buds that were preparing for an early bloom.

“It is looking like it’s going to be much later than we thought,” Dilliplane said over the phone on Monday. “If there are no more snowstorms [fingers crossed], then by mid-April, we should be good.”

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The cold weather won’t affect the trees’ color or vibrancy, Dilliplane said, but it could reduce the potential volume of the blooms.

“If it’s really warm and in the 70s [degrees Fahrenheit], we tend to get massive blooms across the board,” he said. “But if the weather stays in the lower 50s, it’s warm enough that some [flowers] will blossom a little earlier, and others, if they’re in shady areas, might not bloom quite as quickly.”

The good news? Peak bloom is expected to line up with the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival at the Shofuso House, which is scheduled for April 7th to 15th.

If you’re looking for other spots to peep cherry blossoms this spring, consider the Please Touch Museum, Kelly Drive, Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Belmont Plateau or a few locations nearby.

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