Cherry blossom season is here — so where are the best spots to see them in New York City? Depends on when you are looking.
The Central Park Conservancy has launched its cherry blossom tracker to help those on the hunt for blooms. As of late March, nearly the entire park had still yet to peak.
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The first spot where the cherry blossoms were in bloom was the West Side of the Reservoir on Friday, followed later by Bethesda Terrace on Monday. At the West Side location, Okame trees are featured, which bloom earlier than other species.
Bethesda Terrace is one of two new spots to see cherry blossoms in Central Park this year. The other is at the Alice in Wonderland statue.
Looking for cherry blossoms elsewhere, or looking for other flowers entirely? New York State once again has an interactive map on where to find the best blooms across the state.
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In addition to the much-loved cherry blossoms, the map shows where lilacs, magnolias, tulips and a combination of the four are blooming. That includes spots like botanical gardens, parks, flower farms, arboretums, museums, historic sites, nature sites and more.
The map is refreshed every Wednesday into the summer. The report is compiled using on-location field observations from the arborists, gardeners and caretakers at dozens of sites