Cherry Blossom Time at Morris Arboretum & Gardens!
FOR MORE INFO: Mellany Armstrong, Communications Coordinator, 610.329.4022
Cherry Blossom Time is Almost Here at Morris Arboretum & Gardens!
The harsh winter may delay peak bloom
Philadelphia, PA—We’re nearly in the PINK at Morris Arboretum & Gardens! But, after a long, cold winter, we are expecting blooms to arrive a little later than usual.
“It’s hard to predict at this point, but most likely things will be later than last year,” said Vince Marrocco, director of horticulture at the Morris. Marrocco says blossoms historically arrive at the end of March. This year, Marrocco says peak bloom for the Morris’s cherry trees will arrive around April 4.
“It depends on the weather and it depends on the variety, but we can have cherry trees blooming for almost two months continuously, from late March through May,” Marrocco said. “We probably have the most diverse collection of cherries in the Delaware Valley.”
If the weather cooperates, cherry blossom season starts at the Morris with our Okame cherries (Prunus ‘Okame’) in late March, followed by our Yoshino cherries (P. xyedoensis) in early April, and finishes with the many varieties of Japanese cherries (P. serrulata, P. ‘Kanzan’, etc.) in late April. The Morris is unique in Philadelphia with a collection of over 200 cherry trees representing over 76 different varieties. This diverse array creates an exceptionally long and beautiful cherry blossom season, featuring varying shades of pink.
The Morris is also a place where you can see some rarer cherry trees, including Prunus takesimensis, a species endemic to Ulleung Island, South Korea.
“We were fortunate to wild-collect seeds of this plant during a trip to Korea in the early ’80’s,” said Marrocco. “With habitat loss, this species is now endangered in its native range, making this one of the rarer cherries in our collection. Despite its rarity in the wild, this is a tough tree, with delicate, pinky-white flowers followed by charming dark red cherries.”
Follow us on Instagram @morrisarboretum for bloom updates in real time.
***Images from 2025 are available for your use at this link: https://upenn.box.com/s/avjbafiydzam5z5yzijhs2hrzg9hma0i
For more information or to arrange an interview with Vince Marrocco, email Mellany Armstrong, Communications Coordinator, at mellanya@upenn.edu or call 610.329.4022 (cell).
The Morris Arboretum & Gardens is one of more than 30 Philadelphia gardens in America’s Garden Capital. This 92-acre horticultural display garden features a spectacular collection of mature trees in a beautiful and colorful landscape. The Morris offers educational programs for many audiences ranging from youth to professional and is a leader in botanical and horticultural research.
100 E. Northwestern Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118 / 215.247.5777 / info@morrisarboretum.org
