The Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival wrapped up on April 13, but the petals haven’t dropped to the Earth just yet. The extended cold front that plagued the country this winter has also delayed the bloom, so procrastinating plant-lovers have a chance to take a stroll while the flowers are still intact. Though the time of optimal blossoming tends to fluctuate each year, cherry blossoms only bloom in late March and early April. This year, “peak bloom” landed on Easter Sunday, April 20.
Essex County Branch Brook Park boasts the most diverse collection of cherry blossom varieties in the world. The trees were a gift from Caroline Bamberger Fuld in 1926; after seeing the impressive blooms in the nation’s capital, she felt New Jersey was equally deserving of such a rosy-colored menagerie, and gifted the park with 2,050 trees.
If you’re still unable to make it to the park before the last petal falls, take a peak at these photos snapped by New Jersey Monthly Art Director Laura Baer.