Where to find spring flowers in Philadelphia

Find blooming cherries and gorgeous spring flowers all over Philadelphia.

In 1926, as a symbol of international friendship and to celebrate the half-year anniversary of the United States, the Japanese government donated more than 1,600 flowering trees to Philadelphia. The Society of Japan and America of Greater Philadelphia (JASGP) continued this legacy from 1998 to 2007, planting another 1,000 trees throughout the city. Every spring beautiful cherries, magnolias and other spring flowers begin to fill the parks and charming residential streets of Philadelphia.

Refer to our list below to find some of the best places in Philadelphia to admire the colorful shades of the spring season, as shown in photos taken by local photographers. Shofuso Japanese House and Garden and JASGP collaborated with Japanese artist Hiro Sakaguchi, who produced a hand-painted map Fairmount Park and downtown Philadelphia, which shows where cherries bloom throughout the city. Click here to download the full map.

For more tips on where to find spring flowers, follow the PHLCVB Instagram.

Shofuso Japanese House and Garden, West Fairmount Park

Author’s photo @kylehuff

The tranquil area around this traditional 17th-century Japanese house and garden in West Fairmount Park fills with pink hues every spring when several cherry blossoms are planted around the home.

Fairmount Park Horticulture Center

Author’s photo @kylehuff

Located next to Shofuso, the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center is home to a long plot of cherry trees, many of which were donated to Philadelphia by the Japanese government in 1926.

800 Block of N 21st Street, Fairmount

Author’s photo @kylehuff

This quiet residential street is located just outside the northern walls of the historic Eastern State Penitentiary and is a canopy of bright pink flowers in the spring months.

Shuilkill River Trail along Kelly Drive, East Fairmount Park

Author’s photo @ elevated.angles

Fairmount Park is filled with flowering trees, and one of their largest collections is among the lush green lawns bordering the Shuilkill River along Kelly Drive.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Author’s photo @youbetkev

Behind the world-famous Philadelphia Museum of Art, surround yourself with natural art as colorful flowers enliven beautiful spring scenes.

Rittenhouse Park

Author’s photo @sarah_kauper

One of Philadelphia’s five original squares, Rittenhouse Square, is home to several tall magnolia trees that typically bloom a few weeks before cherry blossoms.

N 17th & Green Street, Fairmount

Author’s photo @ carolynleonard.photos

The charming residential streets of the Fairmount district are also home to flowering trees, such as this plot north of the Philadelphia Communal College.

Washington Square Park

Author’s photo @jessburghaus

More than 60 species of trees, including several that bloom in spring, can be found throughout historic 6-acre Washington Square southwest of Independence Hall.

S 22nd & Latimer Street, Fitler Square

Author’s photo @kylehuff

Magnolias join other flowering trees in this corner in Fitler’s living space.

Magnolia Garden, a mountain of society

Author’s photo @dacrilikethedrink

In keeping with its name, the Magnolia Garden in Social Hill has a collection of magnolias that make it a must-visit in the early spring months. Consecrated in 1959, the park was donated to the Garden Club of America in honor of the founders of the United States and was inspired by George Washington’s commitment to magnolia trees.

Race Street Pier

Author’s photo @ vinh.fx

This stunning shot of Benjamin Franklin’s Bridge in Flower Frames is just an example of the beautiful blooms you’ll see from Race Street Pier along the Delaware River waterfront.

Columbus Boulevard (Delaware Avenue) Middle

Author’s photo @ p.vekshin

Each section of the middle along the Philadelphia waterfront has a different species of tree, making it thrive throughout the season in a checkerboard pattern from south to north.

Cover photo: Shofuso. Photo by Sean Marshall Lin.