Top 5: Places to See Cherry Blossom Trees in the United States

Every spring, cherry blossom trees sprout their flowers all over the country. The blooming of the Japanese buds is such an enchanting sight and only lasts for a few days or weeks at most. Therefore, some locations around the country host festivals, inviting locals and visitors to celebrate the unofficial arrival of spring and the Japanese origins of the trees.

Washington, D.C
With more than 3,000 trees and an online bloom calendar that predicts when the peak bloom will take place (an event that usually lasts for one to two days and is when the flowers are at their brightest and boldest), the nation’s capital is definitely the biggest cherry blossom event in the country. More than 1.5 million visitors attend the festival each year, which usually takes place from late March to the middle of April. The trees were a gift from Japan in 1912 and still bloom around the perimeter of the Tidal Basin, and the tradition radiates to restaurants and bars that serve pink cocktails and other themed dishes.

Nashville, Tennessee
The city’s own Cherry Blossom Festival includes a group walk along and through parks where trees were planted as part of a project led by the Japan-America Society of Tennessee. Adjacent events celebrate Japanese culture by way of music, dance, martial arts and cuisine.

St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis’s Missouri Botanical Gardens feature more than 100 types of cherry blossom trees, including 20 from the original gifting from the Japanese to D.C.

Brooklyn, New York
Follow the website’s “Cherrywatch” map to see when the flowers will be in full bloom at Brooklyn’s Botanic Gardens.

Buffalo, New York
If you’re a bit late for other cherry blossom events, head north to Buffalo where the trees bloom from late April to early May.