On Thursday, we reported that the National Park Service (NPS) has predicted peak bloom for the DC area Cherry Blossoms to fall this year (2024) between March 23-26. If you’re not interested in traveling too far, you have plenty of options right here in MoCo.
The Kenwood neighborhood (Kenwood Ave., Kennedy Dr., Dorset Ave.) in Bethesda is likely the most popular cherry blossom spot in MoCo. More than 1,200 trees are spread across the neighborhood and sometimes just as many people enjoying the views.
Brookside Gardens is “Montgomery County’s incomparable, award-winning 50-acre public display garden within Wheaton Regional Park.” No matter the time of the year, there’s plenty to see here, but peak bloom for cherry blossoms can also be enjoyed here.
Glenview Mansion in Rockville “sits at the heart of the Civic Center overlooking 28 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds with ornamental gardens.” Per Visit Montgomery, you can enjoy “a picnic under a Yoshino cherry tree” or the “gorgeous cluster of Kwanzan cherry trees that line the driveway when you arrive at the park.”
Green Park in Gaithersburg is a “beautiful park with many activities available for the entire family — including Fido!” The park includes a tot lot, a play area, basketball courts, a tennis court, hike trails and a Dog Exercise Area. It’s a wonderful place for the family to enjoy an afternoon, and is also filled with cherry blossoms during peak season.
Historic Takoma Park has Cherry trees sprinkled throughout. Per Visit Montgomery, “for the biggest flower impact, turn down Flower Avenue, between Jackson and Garland Avenues, and then turn down Boyd Avenue, between Jackson and Lincoln Avenues.”
Montgomery Parks has also made made it easy to find and tour cherry blossoms in parks located throughout the county. Montgomery Parks’ online tree finder map allows cherry tree seekers to easily locate the beautiful blooms; the map features pink dots to represent cherry trees located in parks.
Last year, then-Parks Director Mike Riley said, “People regularly flock to Washington D.C. to enjoy the cherry blossoms and may not even realize there are so many of these trees right here in Montgomery Parks. Why not pick a park you’ve not yet visited and go enjoy these beautiful trees?”
According to The National Park Service “History of The Cherry Trees” website, “…the planting of cherry trees in Washington D.C. originated in 1912 as a gift of friendship to the People of the United States from the People of Japan.” The first cherry trees were planted in Montgomery County, MD in Chevy Chase as a test to see if the trees would thrive in an environment in the Washington D.C. area.