Where to Find Spring Blooms in Philadelphia
April 2, 2021
Locate cherry blossoms and gorgeous spring blooms throughout Philadelphia.
In 1926, as a symbol of international friendship and in honor of the United States’ sesquicentennial celebration, over 1,600 flowering trees were gifted to Philadelphia by the Japanese government. The Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP) continued this legacy from 1998-2007, planting an additional 1,000 trees throughout the city. Each spring, beautiful cherry blossoms, magnolia blooms, and other spring flowers begin to fill Philadelphia’s parks and charming residential streets.
Consult our list below for some of the best locations in Philadelphia to admire the colorful hues of the spring season, as shown in photos captured by local photographers. New for 2021, Shofuso Japanese House and Garden and JASGP collaborated with Japanese artist Hiro Sakaguchi, who produced a hand-painted map of Fairmount Park and downtown Philadelphia that highlights where to find cherry blossoms throughout the city. Click here to download the full map.
For more tips on where to find spring blooms, follow the PHLCVB on Instagram.
Shofuso Japanese House and Garden, West Fairmount Park
Photo by @dadvntures
The serene grounds surrounding this traditional 17th-century Japanese house and garden in West Fairmount Park are bursting with hues of pink each spring, as several cherry blossoms are planted around the property.
Fairmount Park Horticulture Center
Photo by @tlbtb
Found just beside Shofuso, the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center is home to a lengthy stretch of cherry trees, many of which were gifted to Philadelphia by the Japanese government in 1926.
800 Block of N 21st Street, Fairmount
Photo by @kylehuff
This quiet residential street is tucked just beyond the northern walls of historic Eastern State Penitentiary and presents a canopy of vivid pink flowers in the spring months.
Schuylkill River Trail along Kelly Drive, East Fairmount Park
Photo by @mattseaverphoto
Fairmount Park is filled with flowering trees, and one of the greatest collections of them is found among the lush green lawns that border the Schuylkill River along Kelly Drive.
Rittenhouse Square Park
Photo by @sarah_kauper
One of Philadelphia's five original squares, Rittenhouse Square is home to several tall magnolia trees that tend to bloom several weeks before the cherry blossoms.
N 17th & Green Street, Fairmount
Photo by @carolynleonard.photos
The charming residential streets of the Fairmount neighborhood are also home to flowering trees, such as this stretch just north of the Community College of Philadelphia.
Washington Square Park
Photo by @jessburghaus
Over 60 species of tree — including several that bloom in the spring — can be found throughout the historic, 6-acre Washington Square just to the southwest of Independence Hall.
S 22nd & Latimer Street, Fitler Square
Photo by @kylehuff
Magnolias join other flowering trees at this corner in residential Fitler Square.
Magnolia Garden, Society Hill
Photo by @dacrilikethedrink
True to its name, the Magnolia Garden in Society Hill features a collection of magnolia trees that make it a must-visit during early spring months. Dedicated in 1959, the park was donated by the Garden Club of America in honor of the founders of the United States and was inspired by George Washington’s favor towards magnolia trees.
Columbus Boulevard (Delaware Avenue) Median
Photo by @p.vekshin
Each section of the median along Philadelphia's waterfront thoroughfare features a different tree species, resulting in blooms that are staggered, south to north, throughout the season.
Cover photo by Sean Marshall Lin
