The Best Places to Enjoy Maryland’s Cherry Blossoms
Every year, hundreds of thousands of people converge on the nation’s capital in late March and early April to marvel at the cherry blossoms lining the Tidal Basin. Attending the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., is a rite of passage for most Marylanders. But if you want to welcome spring without the crowds, you can enjoy Maryland’s cherry blossoms! Our trees flower several days to a week later than the District’s since we are farther north, and the blossoms are highly dependent on the weather. Be sure to check the anticipated peak bloom dates with the venues below before heading out.
National Harbor
Celebrate the arrival of spring with National Harbor’s Cherry Blossom festivities. This entertainment hub is located across the Potomac River from DC. Saunter along waterfront trails under a canopy of 200 cherry trees.
After admiring the blooms, delight in Japanese-inspired art, music, dance, and culinary treats at the Sakura Sunday Festival (March 24); take a Japanese Origami class; ride The Capital Wheel; and enjoy pink drinks and spring-inspired dishes at the area’s many restaurants.
Bethesda’s Kenwood neighborhood
The 1,200 Yoshino cherry trees lining Bethesda’s residential neighborhood of Kenwood were planted in the 1930s to make the area more attractive to home-buyers.
Today, you can stroll this walkable neighborhood to enjoy the pink and white blossoms, particularly along Brookside Drive, Dorset Avenue, and Kennedy Drive.
There is some public green space for you to enjoy a picnic, or you can take a bike ride on the nearby Capital Crescent Trail.
Brookside Gardens
Located in Wheaton, Brookside Gardens is an award-winning 50-acre public display garden where visitors can delight in two conservatories and a variety of themed gardens. The park has over 300 cherry trees, including Yoshino and weeping cherry trees in Gude Garden along the HeartSmart Trail and near the pond.
Dozens of other trees and flowers will be in bloom as Brookside welcomes spring to Montgomery County.
Glenview Mansion at Rockville Civic Center Park
Cherry trees line the driveway of the historic Glenview Mansion in Rockville, the circa 1926 Neo-Classical Revival home that is now a popular wedding venue. Kwanzan cherry trees, which bloom a week or two after their Yoshino cousins, can also be found in the formal gardens alongside an intimate fountain, stone archways, and flagstone walking paths. The surrounding Rockville Civic Center Park is also home to flowering trees, along with a nature trail, outdoor fitness equipment, picnic tables, and a playground.
The Manor at Silo Falls
A dairy farm turned restaurant and event space, Brookeville’s The Manor at Silo Falls welcomes you with cherry blossoms lining the drive as you approach the mansion. Another spot popular with area brides, the rustic Manor at Silo Falls, located on 48 acres of rural countryside, serves a delectable menu of steaks and seafood, along with hand-crafted cocktails.
Centennial Park
You can find cherry trees along a 2.6-mile-long paved walking path circling a manmade lake in Ellicott City’s 337-acre Centennial Park.
Many of the park’s flowering cherries were planted by Blossoms of Hope, a nonprofit that plants Kwanzan cherry, redbud, and native Dogwood trees throughout Howard County to raise money for cancer-related and other charitable causes. They are responsible for the pink and white buds in Centennial Park’s Garden of Hope, Founders’ Grove, and Centennial II Grove.
Druid Hill Park
The third oldest established park in the United States, Baltimore’s Druid Hill Park, includes 745 acres of amenities, including playgrounds, basketball and tennis courts, ball fields, a Zen garden, and a greenhouse. The park’s Japanese cherry blossoms line the walking paths on the north shore of Druid Lake. Because Baltimore is farther north than the previous entries on this list, its flowers will appear a week or so later than locations farther south.
Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine
Although known for its role in American history, Baltimore’s Fort McHenry is also home to various wildlife and plant species.
In 1931, 1,500 Baltimore schoolchildren planted cherry trees in the fort’s West Cherry Blossom Grove, East Cherry Blossom Grove, and along the Sea Wall Trail. The 152 trees represented Baltimore public schools and were planted to commemorate the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth.
Photo Credit: Visit Montgomery County, MD
About the Author
Heidi Glatfelter Schlag is a marketer, history lover, and traveler who can often be found exploring museums, parks, small towns, and farms. She founded Culture-Link Communications, where she helps local nonprofits and small businesses build their brands. Heidi lives in Frederick, MD, with her husband and two dogs.
