11 Places to See Cherry Blossoms and Other Flowering Trees in Philadelphia
It's spring, and the city is in full bloom. Here's a list of where you can find the best flowering trees (and the best selfie backdrops) in Philly.
It’s time for cherry blossoms in Philadelphia, and Shofuso is the epicenter / Photograph by HughE Dillon
You don’t have to live in Washington, D.C. to experience the wonder of cherry blossoms. In 1926 Japan gifted 1,600 cherry trees to Philadelphia for the American Sesquicentennial, and they’ve been a symbol of friendship ever since. Over the years many more have been planted, especially in Fairmount Park. In 1933, Japanese residents of the region gifted 500 trees along Kelly Drive. And there are hundreds of cherry trees blooming right now along our streets. In this spring full of hope and renewal, here are a few of my favorite spots to enjoy their beauty.
Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center
One of the most popular spots to see the cherry trees is Shofuso in Fairmount Park (pictured above). Every year Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia holds a cherry blossom celebration timed around peak bloom. This year’s spring festival takes place April 13th and 14th, with a weekend of performances, food, shopping, demonstrations and more.
Photograph by HughE Dillon
Fairmount Park Horticulture Center
Walkable from Shofuso Japanese House and Garden, the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center (100 North Horticultural Drive) features some 1,000 cherry trees, donated in 2003 by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia. Its 27-acre grounds are open daily (except holidays) without charge.
Photograph by HughE Dillon
Behind Memorial Hall/Please Touch Museum
Starting at 4231 Avenue of the Republic, West Fairmount Park, you will spy many beautiful pink cherry blossoms as you bike or walk along the path past the General George G. Meade monument.
Photograph by HughE Dillon
Kelly Drive Cherry Trees
Is there anything better than rows of cherry blossoms along the Schuylkill River? Grab your picnic basket and dine among the blooming trees on Kelly Drive between Boathouse Row and Girard Avenue. The stunning trees will take your breath away from either side of the river.
Cherry blossoms at the Philadelphia Museum of Art / Photograph by HughE Dillon
Philadelphia Museum of Art
There are dozens of cherry trees around the grounds of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. But make sure to head toward the the building’s West Entrance to see some blooming trees there and near the Fairmount Water Works.
Photograph by HughE Dillon
Bulldog Park in Fairmount
Across the street from the Art Museum is tiny Bulldog Park which is ringed by beautiful Yoshino cherry trees. Grab a bench and enjoy the bountiful blooms overhead.
Photograph by HughE Dillon
800 block of North 21st Street
Probably the most Instagrammed street in Philly (this time of year at least) is the 800 block of North 21st Street in Fairmount. On the first day of spring, people on social media post photos of this block to celebrate the day, but the street doesn’t actually bloom until a few weeks later. So you still have time to grab a selfie under the canopy of magnolia trees.
Photograph by HughE Dillon
Miracle on South 13th Street
The holiday light display on the 1600 block of South 13th Street isn’t the only spectacular sight here. In springtime the street bursts with beautiful blooms from all sorts of arbor, including, cherry, dogwood and maple.
Photograph by HughE Dillon
Navy Yard Central Green
Did you know the Navy Yard has received Level I arboretum accreditation from Arbnet, a global network for tree-focused professionals? The Navy Yard is one of six such arboreta in Philadelphia (Awbury Arboretum, Bartram’s Garden, Centennial Arboretum, the Horticulture Center, Morris Arboretum). While many flowering trees can be found throughout the grounds, my favorite spot is Central Green where you can sit and enjoy the beauty while watching airplanes make their final approach to Philadelphia International nearby.
Photograph by HughE Dillon
Logan Square/Swann Fountain
Blooming tree season in Philly extends past April, as Logan Circle’s paulownia trees don’t bloom until the first week of May, or about two weeks after the blooms are off the cherry trees. A hardy species, you will also see many blooming paulownia poking above the houses if you ride the El to Frankford. You’ll also find some near the Independence Park historic area.
Photograph by HughE Dillon
Azalea Garden behind the Art Museum
After the cherry blossoms are finished for the season, there’s yet another beautiful blooming spot to visit in Philly: the Azalea Garden, which peaks in the first two weeks of May. Located on Kelly Drive between Boathouse Row and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the garden’s flowering trees (dogwood, apple) and azaleas are in bloom everywhere starting in late April and continuing for most of May.
