7 beautiful places to see cherry blossom this spring
Don’t miss the chance to see cherry blossom trees at their peak, with our pick of the best places to go in the UK.
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Don’t miss the chance to see cherry blossom trees at their peak, with our pick of the best places to go in the UK.
Cherry blossom is one of the most exciting things about spring – along with the sunny faces of daffodils and the extra daylight hours after the clocks go forward to British Summer Time.
These ephemeral blossoms are loved around the world. Japan is particularly famed for its love of the flowers, of course, with thousands of people flocking to cherry trees to marvel at – and picnic under – the blooms.
But the UK is getting a global reputation for our beautiful blooms in spring and we've got seven of the best places to see stunning cherry blossom this year.
Cherry blossom in the UK typically flowers between early March and late April or even early May – it depends on the location, the type of tree and how unpredictable the spring weather has been.
Pam Smith,The National Trust’s national gardens consultant says: “The majority of blossoming trees burst into flower before the leaves unfurl which is why it’s so noticeable and is what makes blossom one of nature’s most stunning displays – even more so after the grey and wet winter we’ve experienced.
“After the native blackthorn bursts forth, it’s the cherry plum which many will first experience bursting into bloom in our streets and parks.”
Annie Reilly, blossom programme manager at the National Trust adds: “The joyful sight of blossom after such a grey, cold and stormy start to the year is a real mood lifter. And it’s well known that spending time in nature can boost your wellbeing.
“With the season only lasting a few weeks – it’s really important to enjoy it while we can”
Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, is a magnet for tree lovers, home to 2,500 different species from all corners of the globe and boasting five national tree collections.
Located near the M4 in the Cotswolds, the park has its own open Cherry Glade. This is a favourite spot for visitors stopping for a snack or picnic as the weather improves.
The trees glow for a few weeks each spring with pink hues (getting lighter as they expand and mature) – the varieties growing there have between five to more than 100 petals in each blossom.
Rosemoor has a number of locations where visitors can catch the springtime spectacle.
Cherry blossom can be found in the Woodland Garden, set among camellias, magnolias and rhododendrons.
Lady Anne’s Arboretum is also home to some of Rosemoor’s oldest cherry trees.
RHS added 15 ornamental cherry trees as part of the Sakura Cherry Tree Project, which celebrates the UK’s friendship with Japan.
“One of my favourite cherries for its simplicity, Prunus ‘Jo-nioi’ is bursting with clouds of pure white flowers in the lower shrub border,” says Sheila Dearing, Rosemoor’s Garden Technical Services Officer.
“It really is a striking specimen – a magnet for both visitors and pollinating insects.”
Bring your cherry blossom indoors
If you can’t get outside to see the cherry blossoms, you can bring them home to you instead. It’s possible to grow your own cherry blossom trees indoors.
This useful guide can help you get started. The RHS says acid cherry trees are better suited to growing in pots as they’re less vigorous.
Some cultivars – such as “Gisela 5” – have been grafted onto semi-dwarfing root stocks to control their eventual size, though they might still grow too large for some houses. The RHS has more advice on growing a cherry tree in a container.
If you find yourself in the southeast of England, a trip to Greenwich Park breaks up the city bustle, and each spring sees the trees erupt with pink plumage.
The central pathway through the park becomes blanketed overhead with cherry blossom. It’ll be one of the busier spots on our list, but there is a chance you might see one of London’s infamous green parakeets snacking on the tasty blooms.
Greenwich Park also houses a rose garden if you need a moment of calm from the crowds.
The Sakura Cherry Tree Project also led to more than 40 cherry trees planted at Tatton Park in Cheshire.
The gardening team there has thoughtfully planted the trees in such a way so that visitors can follow a trail, called the Spring Cherry Walk. This takes them from the Pinetum, past the Japanese Garden and to the Choragic Monument.
Three types of cherry have been planted as part of the project: white-flowered “Tai Haku”, the pink “Beni Yutaka”, and “Yedoensis”, which grows blushing white blossom.
Iconic pink and white cherry blossom pretty much take over the town of Helensburgh each spring.
The town’s trees are the only urban tree collection included in the National Tree Collections of Scotland.
Visitors can find white cherry trees lining Stafford Street and West King Street, while pink cherry chasers should head to Colquhoun Street, West Princes Street, John Street and Lomond Street.
There’s even a mile-long avenue of pink cherry blossom on West Argyle Street. Helensburgh Tree Conservation Trust has a leaflet and map guide to the flowering trees of the town available to download from its website.
This Jacobean mansion and its ancient yew hedges sit at the heart of a garden and historic park in Blickling Estate.
Blickling’s Walled Garden underwent a restoration in 2014, which saw the team add 150 cherry, plum, apple and pear trees two years later.
Now these trees have had time to mature, their displays of blossom (starting with plum in early spring and closely followed by cherry) are magnificent.
The West Garden is also home to some magnolias that are stunning when in bloom.
National Trust property Chirk Castle is a classic destination for cherry blossom fans.
The 700-year-old castle is home to stunning formal gardens, and lawns dotted with cherry and pear tree blossoms. Cherry tree blossom gives off a fragrance that drifts throughout the gardens in spring.
If you miss the cherry blossom, don’t worry.
Later visitors can enjoy the tumbling wisteria in the courtyard, and the late spring rhododendrons in the shrub garden.
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