MOST BEAUTIFUL Cherry Blossom Trees in the World

As winter fades away and spring arrives, nature treats us to one of its most spectacular displays of beauty, the blooming of cherry blossom trees. With their delicate pink and white petals, these trees form landscapes into enchanting wonderlands, drawing crowds of admirers from all over the world. From Japan's famous sakura trees to Washington D.C.'s tidal basin, join me for today's video. I'm going to explore 15 of the most beautiful cherry blossom trees in the Tokyo is one of the greatest cities in the world. The train is always on time, the people are kind, the food is delicious, and it's home to some of the greatest jazz bars on Earth if you know where to look. But this sprawling metropolis is also one of the most fast-paced, brightly lit, and densely populated cities in the world. People are literally on top of each other, and it seems like so many of them always have somewhere to be and need to get there fast. But in the heart of the neighborhood, there's a place where you can get away from it all, Shinjuku Gyoen. This Shinjuku Gyoen is one of the oldest parks in the country, dating all the way back to the Edo period, which lasted from around 1603 to about 1867. The park was utterly destroyed during the Allied bombings and raids of World War II, but luckily it was rebuilt and reopened for all to enjoy in 1949. The park itself is vast. It's made up of three different gardens, the English Landscape Garden, the French Garden, and, of course, the Japanese Landscape Garden, where you'll find large ponds each dotted with small bridges and islands. During the first two weeks of November, Shinjuku Gyoen is home to the Chrysanthemum Exhibit, but the literal cherry on top is without a doubt the cherry blossoms in the spring. The garden is home to more than 1,500 cherry trees that take full bloom in the English Garden from late March to early April, and people come from far and wide to join in on hanami, which is the practice of simply sitting outside and enjoying the beauty of the sakura, or cherry blossoms. Come in late March for the Weeping Cherry, early in April for the Tokyo Cherry, and again in late April for the Kanzan Cherry. It should come as no surprise that cherry blossom season brings in serious crowds to Shinjuku Gyoen, so much so that reservations are required at specific times during the bloom. 14. Bon Cherry Blossoms Tokyo isn't the only city where you'll find spectacular cherry blossoms. In fact, you don't even need to be in Japan to find them. Every April, thousands of cherry trees transform the city of Bon, Germany into a scene pulled straight from the pages of a fairy tale. Hordes of pink flowers burst from branches that stretch over the residential streets, creating enchanting cherry blossom tunnels. It's truly a spectacular sight, with the best part being that it's just in the middle of a regular neighborhood. That means the residents are treated to the sight and scent of flowers every morning as the sun rises, and get to see them in a whole new light at sunset. And just imagine walking down the streets as part of the morning commute to work. That'd be great. The boss is sure to understand why everyone is late as they walk through the streets of Bon. The springtime spectacle takes place in the Altstadt, or Old Town, of Bon. The area is already amazing in its own right, with its narrow cobblestone streets and picturesque buildings, and so the floral display of the city only adds to this old-world charm. The thousands of cherry trees lining the alleys adds an extra dash of whimsical beauty. But you might wonder just how exactly all these trees began to grow in Germany. The cherry trees, which are native to Japan, were planted in Bon in 1980. Their bunches of pink flowers have unfurled over Bon's streets yearly ever since. As the weeks wear on, the blossoms begin fluttering towards the earth, eventually carpeting the sidewalks and streets beneath layers of delicate pink little petals. Locals and visitors alike delight in this gorgeous annual display of nature's beauty. Don't be surprised to see cyclists whizzing through the tunnels, leaving cyclones of fallen cherry blossom petals in their wake, or the not-so-occasional lovestruck couples taking a romantic stroll beneath the canopy of flowers. Even the parked cars get a light dusting of flower petals. The cherry blossoms in Bon also make for the perfect selfie background. 13. Holland Park's Kyoto Garden Holland Park sits on the western edge of central London, and it's known for its large Victorian townhomes, cultural attractions like the Design Museum, upscale hotels, shops, and restaurants, and the embassies of several countries too. It's a bit of a fancy neighborhood to say the least, the kind of place where money talks, but there's one place in the Holland Park neighborhood that all can enjoy. Among all of the great many lovely features of this park is a beautiful Japanese garden where any and all can come and go for a fine afternoon stroll, sit, reflect, and of course enjoy the cherry blossoms of the spring. The Kyoto Garden was gifted to the British capital by the Japanese city of Kyoto in 1992 to commemorate the long-standing friendship between England and Japan. It was donated by the Chamber of Commerce of Kyoto in recognition of the Japan Festival held in London in 1992, including the first international sumo wrestling competition at the nearby Royal Albert Hall. Kyoto is well-known for its gardens, and a well-known Japanese designer worked with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to create this very special one. The stunning green and pink space is marked by a large and beautiful pond fed by a tiered waterfall. The pond is surrounded by stone lanterns and lush plants native to Japan. A small bridge crosses over the water while shoals of colorful koi swim below. Lurking around the vegetation in search of some tasty insects is a beautiful flock of generally tame peacocks who have learned to coexist with park-goers over the years. The garden's Japanese maple trees are particularly visually striking during the autumn months when their leaves turn a rich golden-red color, casting the garden in crimson hues. And in springtime, the sakura tree's cherry blossoms bloom exuberantly with thousands of pink petals, with May being the most popular month. The Kyoto Garden is so perfectly designed that if you're here long enough, you'll truly think you're in the old Japanese city. 12. The National Arboretum, Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. is home to the oldest cherry blossom trees in the United States. The original plants arrived as gifts from the people of Japan as a demonstration of friendship in 1912. Writer, diplomat, and world traveler Eliza Skidmore fell in love with the blossoms after a visit to Japan in 1885 and immediately wanted to bring the beauty back home. She put in a request to the Office of Public Buildings and Grounds, which was promptly ignored. Then, after a direct appeal to the First Lady Taft, Skidmore's dream finally came true with arrival of cherry blossoms in the U.S. Capitol in 1910. The original trees are many different varieties, and two large trees that remain today were planted near the Tidal Basin, just south of Independence Avenue. More were planted on the White House grounds near the National Mall. Other places to view cherry blossoms in D.C. include the National Arboretum, Haynes Point, and Georgetown. But it's those cherry blossoms at the National Arboretum that are the real showstoppers. Visitors will find 9.5 miles of paths snaking over more than 400 acres, and the 1,000-plus trees are much more spread out than those at the more popular and better-known Tidal Basin. Of course, if walking across 400 acres of space isn't in the cards for you, visitors can always drive between various groves, but most find the three-mile walk on paved roads easy enough. Plus, it lets you take things slower and soak in a lot more sakura. There are more than 30 varieties of cherry trees in the National Arboretum, and they bloom over a much longer period of time than those at the nearby Tidal Basin. The trees at the Arboretum begin blooming at least two weeks earlier, and visitors can still see flowers well into May. The extended blooming season means you can visit in two separate months and experience peak bloom. Plenty of D.C. natives say they prefer the National Arboretum because it hasn't quite made its way onto the radar of the tourists...yet. 11. Brooklyn Botanic Gardens Ayo! The city that never sleeps definitely doesn't sleep on cherry blossom season. New York received a few of the original trees sent to the U.S. from Japan in 1912 and planted those in Sakura Park in Manhattan. However, in more modern times, some of the most impressive blooms can be found in Brooklyn. After the First World War, even more of the gorgeous gifts were sent to the borough as a sign of friendship and good faith from the Japanese government. Today, those trees can be found blooming in Brooklyn Botanic Gardens from late March to mid-May, although many reports have them blooming a little earlier each year due to climate change, so make sure to research the annual forecast before planning a trip. Brooklyn is the much quieter sister of Manhattan, and that shows in the Botanical Garden. There's even a small Zen Garden with a large torii gate standing in the lake where the Brooklynites can come to cool down. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden in Prospect Heights near the Brooklyn Museum and Prospect Park has a great collection of cherry blossom trees, most located in the Japanese Hill and Pond Garden. To the west of this area, you'll also find the Cherry Cultivars area, where there are different varieties growing all in one place, so visitors can really see how they all bloom on different schedules. Not all cherry blossoms are the same. Cherry Walk Pathway, lined with trees that leads to the Cherry Esplanade, is an open lawn area with 76 trees. You can also find cherry blossoms in the Osborne Garden by the Eastern Parkway entrance and in the Bonsai Collection. Brooklyn also used to host the Sakura Matsuri Cherry Blossom Festival, which went on hiatus in 2020 and unfortunately hasn't returned since. However, there are various events around the city and neighborhood planned to celebrate the season outside of one large event. The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens even has the Cherry Watch, which allows prospective visitors to track the blooms and time their visit just right. 10. KAWAZU SAKURA FESTIVAL Every February, when the final weeks of winter are still lingering over the cold earth, one Japanese town is treated to an early burst of vivid springtime color. Gorgeous bright pink flowers give locals and visitors alike a sneak peek of the cherry blossom displays that will bloom across the country a few weeks later. Kawazu was home to some of the earliest sakura blooms in all of Japan. From mid-February to mid-March, the river meandering through the town is lined by thousands of the beautiful bubblegum pink petals, all thanks to one original tree that can still be viewed today. Pedestrians can walk beneath the breathtaking canopies of cotton candy-colored blossoms or soak in nearby hot springs and spas while admiring the floral display. The Kawazu cherry trees were discovered in Kawazu in the 1950s. Noticing the blossoms had a deeper, more vivid pink color than other types of cherry trees, the locals then deliberately planted the seeds along the riverbank, giving the town its signature pink-striped waterway. The original Kawazu Sakura tree is planted in a residential area, which is still possible to view. People from across Japan and beyond venture to the town to experience its early blossoms. An annual festival celebrates the spectacular trees, complete with street vendors and family-friendly activities that last for days at a time. Today, there are over 8,000 Kawazu Sakura trees in Kawazu City, lined along the Kawazu River, which stretches over two miles. As well as coming into bloom early in the year, they also flower much longer than almost all the other cherry blossom trees. The cherry blossom season in Japan is very short, as the flowers of most Sakura trees are usually only in bloom for a very brief amount of time. For some varieties of trees, though, this can be even as short as a week. However, the bright pink flowers of the Kawazu Sakura tree are typically in bloom for at least a month, usually flowering in the beginning of February until around the beginning of mid-March. This exceptionally long blooming period is another reason why the Kawazu Sakura is one the most popular cherry blossom trees in Japan. The festival is a great reminder that not all cherry blossoms are alike, and if we look hard enough, we can find all of their beautiful differences. 9. Sakura no Torinuke A national mint may seem like an unlikely place to enjoy hanami, the traditional Japanese custom of admiring cherry blossoms in spring, but the Japan Mint headquarters in Osaka is quite famed for its so-called Sakura no Torinuke, or the Cherry Blossom Tunnel. In mid-April, the riverside promenade that stretches for 600 yards around the mint blooms in shades of pastel pink as its sakura goes into full bloom. It boasts more than 300 cherry trees, which come in over 100 varieties. Every spring, the mint names one of these varieties as the Flower of the Year, which gets featured on medals that are included in the annual proof coin sets. The cherry blossom trees were originally planted in the 1830s by the Fujido samurai clan, who owned the area at the time, and kept as is when the property was taken over by the Meiji government to be renovated as the national mint headquarters. The tradition of the tunnel goes back to 1883, when the master of the mint, Kinsuke Endo, allowed the public of Osaka to enter the premises to enjoy the blossoms. British author Rudyard Kipling, of The Jungle Book fame, experienced the tunnel during his trip in 1889 and wrote about it in his book From Sea to Sea. 8. Tetsu Treehouse Although much of Japan has been associated with the neon dreams and cyberpunk style of something like Blade Runner, so much more of the country and culture is about bringing it all back to nature. Many people here have been able to strike a balance between the country's modernization and their Shinto roots, believing that nature still has a great power and presence in our everyday lives. And so, when it comes to seeing some of the most beautiful cherry blossoms in the world, where better to view them than from the comfort of your own home? Tenorobu Fujimori is a profound Japanese architect and designer known for embodying this mindset in his creations, and his Tetsu Treehouse really takes the cake. His treehouse in Hokuto, Japan is one of a kind. This unique treehouse sits right amidst the cherry blossom trees for which the country is known for. The Tetsu Treehouse is situated atop a lone cypress tree surrounded by the pink hues of the blooms. It's just stunning, and the surroundings will have you reciting haikus in no time at all. From the outside, the Tetsu Treehouse has a very minimalistic look, but the interior is just as stunning. The interior walls are incredibly smooth and the floors resemble traditional tatami mats, while the ceiling looks like it's held up by the perfectly sanded down trees acting as columns. Much more than just a pretty face, this treehouse is all about intent. Fujimori designed the one-legged structure to be sturdy enough to sway with the tree during stormy and through earthquakes, but more importantly, he made it specifically for enjoying the cherry blossoms in full bloom. Where is this cherry treehouse hiding? You'll find the solitary structure in Kiyoharo Art Village in Hokuto, which is open to the public, so make sure to pay this place a visit during the next cherry blossom season. 7. Al Capone's Cherry Tree Near the East 33rd Street entrance to the Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, stands a beautiful Japanese Weeping Cherry Tree. Each spring, the tree bursts into a marvelous display of pink cherry blossoms. These blossoms represent beauty, rebirth, and mortality. Ironically, this tree was gifted to the hospital by the infamous American mob boss and gangster Al Capone. During his 11-year sentence for federal income tax evasion, Capone spent four-plus years incarcerated at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in San Francisco. While there, he was diagnosed with syphilis in the brain. The paresis and dementia resulting from neurosyphilis worsened during his incarceration and expedited his early parole from federal custody on November 16, 1939. Upon his release, prison officials urged family members to seek medical treatment for his progressing venereal disease. The Capone family tried to get him admitted to Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, the leading treatment center for advanced-stage tertiary syphilis. Concerned about the negative press Capone's notoriety and criminal history, the hospital board refused to treat him. Instead, Union Memorial Hospital agreed to take him as a private patient. Immediately following his prison sentence, Capone lived in a two-room suite on the hospital's fifth floor, with windows overlooking the area where the cherry tree now grows. Union Memorial even permitted his entourage attendance, including family members, a barber, food tasters, and bodyguards. While there, he was treated by Dr. Joseph E. Moore, and Capone spent six weeks in the hospital and several more weeks receiving outpatient treatment at a private Baltimore residence before returning home to Miami, Florida in March of 1940. To thank Union Memorial for the compassionate care and medical attention he received, Capone gifted the hospital with two Japanese weeping cherry trees. One of the trees was removed in 1950 to make room for the construction of a new wing. The remaining tree still stands. Despite a heavy snowfall in February 2010 that split the tree in half and caused the loss of a 10-foot branch. Decorative items were from the fallen branch and sold to raise funds for the hospital. The younger weeping cherry trees on the Union Memorial campus are cuttings of the original tree. These offspring are affectionately referred to as caponets. The Capone cherry tree continues to bloom lavishly every spring. 6. Jerte Valley When spring rolls around, Spain's Jerte Valley and its eleven villages are covered by a white blanket of flowers. Every corner of the Sierra de Gredos mountain range, as well as the valley's gorges and hillsides, become enveloped in a beautiful cherry blossom blanket. After the long winter, over one and a half million cherry trees come to life, presenting locals and visitors with breathtaking Spanish sakura. The blossoming of the cherry trees in this valley also marks the beginning of the local spring celebrations. It's an amazing celebration and a great way for Europeans to celebrate sakura outside of Japan. The valley forms a natural trail, which over the years has been used as a Roman road, as well as a place for grazing cattle. Although most towns in the region originate in ancient Celtic settlements, the valley also houses the remains of pre-Roman forts, shepherd's huts, wooden farmhouses, typical stone houses with thick oak timbers, and caves with archaeological remains, and has acted as a traditional stopover place for wood pigeons. The origins of the cherry blossom festival here date back to the 1970s, when the local town councils agreed to organize the fellowship festival amongst the inhabitants of the valley and the neighboring regions. Considered to be of national tourist interest, the festival includes several cultural, athletic, gastronomic, and festive events organized throughout the valley. It all begins as the ice begins to melt in the valley's gorges and rivers, and waterfalls become filled with water, migratory birds start their journey, and animal and plant life springs up from the valley's slopes and forests. The sakura bloom shortly after this period, when the valley is draped in a white blanket of blossom made up of almost two million flowering cherry trees, and enveloped in a luscious scent of spring. At the peak of spring, the white petals leave their branches, giving way to the intense green shades of the oak and chestnut trees, the purple heather, and the yellow bloom. In each celebration period, local villages take part in a diverse range of activities, from plays and photography competitions to mountain races and traditional markets. 5. SAKURA GARDENS AT GARDENS BY THE BAY To call the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore a simple garden is an understatement. If anything, it's a garden city. Where to even begin with this place? Well, the entire garden spans about 250 acres, consisting of three water gardens, a 130-acre garden, and the Flower Dome, which is the largest greenhouse in the world. The Flower Dome is three acres and built to mimic and support a cool and dry Mediterranean climate, and it's home to more species of flowers, trees, and shrubs than you can count. And then you have the slightly smaller Cloud Forest, which houses the more tropical plants of the mountainous regions, and the structure itself is fully clad in orchids, ferns, and bromeliads. It's absolutely gorgeous. There's also Super Tree Grove, which is home to 18 tree-like structures, the tallest of which is about 160 feet and probably the most recognized attraction here. Honestly, if it weren't for all the other people around, would you probably think that you've been transported back to prehistoric times when dinosaurs ruled and plant life was able to grow freely and uninhabited? Yeah, probably. But the cherry on top is the new and improved Sakura Garden. They really put a lot of thought into this exhibit. The display has been going on for nearly a decade now and offers visitors their own small slice of Japan. Upon entering the Flower Dome, visitors are greeted by Japan's recognizable torii gates, which are flanked by the sakura on both sides. Through the exhibit, gardens by the bays take visitors on a sightseeing journey across Japan, with scenes such as toy trains circling a miniature Mount Fuji, deer gathering on a grassy field, and even a display of Pokemon. The icing on the cake, though, is the life-sized Pikachu sporting a full head of hair made of cherry blossoms. Garden by the Bay was only built in 2012, but it's already well on its way to having one of the greatest sakura displays of all time. Number 4. Kyoto Botanical Garden The Kyoto Botanical Garden in Japan is a real head-scratcher. Despite being home to more than 12,000 different species of plants, it often goes overlooked. Even stranger is that the garden is open year-round, offering visitors something different with each new visit. You can come here once a month and still only see a fraction of what the garden has to offer. But when it comes to cherry blossom season, this is the place to be. The cherry blossoms bloom throughout the entire garden in the spring, and how many trees does this garden call home? Try 500. Many of the cherry trees are of the weeping variety, which droop down to the visitor's eye level, giving them the perfect view of the flowers. Even if you can't make it here in the spring, there are 180 varieties of blooming hydrangea in the summer. It's all pretty spectacular. Maple trees flash their crimson leaves in the fall, and in the winter, the conservatory keeps its tropical plants, orchids, and succulents warm. Founded in 1924, the nearly 60-acre Kyoto Botanical Garden nurtures some 120,000 plants on its grounds. After falling into disuse in 1945, it reopened in 1961, and today is Japan's oldest and most comprehensive botanical garden. The conservatory isn't just a nice spot to keep warm on a winter garden tour either. At nearly 50,000 square feet of space, it's one of Japan's largest conservatories as well. This garden also has a children's play area, a flower stand where you can purchase your own piece of plant life, and a small cafe where you can sit with a coffee and take in the pink-red sakura of spring. The gardens also provide a space to escape from the hustle of Kyoto's busy attractions, to find solitude, or to simply appreciate the beauty of plants. The entrance fee to the park is only 200 yen, which is just about two bucks, and entering the conservatory calls for just another two bucks, so for less than five bucks, that's not a bad deal. 3. Kew Gardens Cherry Walk Formerly the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Gardens in England is home to one of the largest and most diverse gardens in the world. Also given the title of being a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003, Kew Gardens is home to all sorts of delights. It houses almost 30,000 different types of living plants, 7 million dried specimens in the herbarium, and there's the library where you can sift through 130,000 volumes of books, archived material, periodicals, prints, and drawings, all related to the lush flora. There are tropical ferns, Australian plants, succulents, orchids, and water lilies so massive that a child can sit on one. But Kew Gardens plays a much larger role in the grand scheme of the plant world, and is more than just a garden. It also plays a part with the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership established in 1996, which helps to mitigate the extinction of at-risk plants via seed preservation. Much like some zoos are safe havens for animals on the brink of extinction to breed and be released into the wild, Kew Gardens does the same for plants. And by 2018, Kew Gardens held about 13% of the Earth's plant species, which included 2.2 billion seeds from 189 countries, which is a great thing because a world without plants and gardens isn't a world worth living in. But come here late in the spring and be sure to visit the Cherry Walk. Starting just behind the Palm House, Cherry Walk offers the most beautiful display of cherry blossoms in all of London. The path runs towards the Temperate House and is completely flanked by a straight path of the bright pink blossoms. Seeing people stopping for photos every few feet has become a common sight here, especially towards the end of the season, when so many pink petals have fallen to the ground to create a gorgeous blanket of hanami snow. 2. Philosopher's Walk Honoring Japanese philosopher Nishida Kitaro, who used to stroll here on his commute to Kyoto University in the early 20th century, the Philosopher's Walk is roughly a mile-long pathway along the Lake Biwa Canal in the Higashiyama district of northern Kyoto. During winter, fall, and summer months, it's just your average walking path, but come spring, the walkway comes alive. In the spring, the cherry trees overhang the canal blossom, giving off a flurry of petals onto the path every time the wind blows. Stare at the cherry blossoms long enough, and even the dullest of minds are sure to come up with new bright ideas. The stretch has become so popular that visitors have come to love the Philosopher's Walk no matter the season. Those in the know would recommend newcomers give themselves at least an hour to truly enjoy this path of beauty and knowledge, noting that they'll likely want to stop along the way to gander at the temples and shrines that can be found just outside the walking path. The path allows access to temples and shrines such as Honen-in, Otoyo Shrine, and Ekando Zenriji. Others also caution that the area can get extra congested during cherry blossom season. The nice leisurely stroll of the Philosopher's Walk begins at Jinkaku-ji, or the Silver Pavilion, and moves south along the canal until its path ends in the Nezenji neighborhood. People have been making this trek for decades now. The walk first opened in 1890 and extended again in 1912, and aside from being a tourist hotspot, it is a great source of peace and exercise for many locals. The best part, though, is that the Philosopher's Walk is open to all, free of charge, 24 hours a day. It's not a bad deal for something so spectacular, especially during the Hanami season, and as that season comes to an end, the petals begin to fall into the canal below, making for a beautiful sight in its own right. 1. Maruyama Park Maruyama Park is the oldest park in Kyoto, complete with a Japanese garden and as well as home to many restaurants and tea houses. The park is home to the iconic cherry blossom viewing spot in Kyoto, the famous Gyanno Yozakura, where visitors can see the illuminated Weeping Cherry Tree at night. When the cherry blossoms start to bloom here, the entire park looks like it's entirely filled with beautiful pink and white blooms. The Weeping Cherry Blossom usually remains in bloom until early April, but you can head here after mid-April to enjoy the Yesakura, the Double Cherry Blossoms. The illumination of Weeping Cherry Tree was cancelled after only one week in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and wasn't held in 2021. This Weeping Cherry Tree is an estimated 40 feet tall with a trunk circumference of almost 10 feet. The cherry blossom tree here in Maruyama Park is also one of the oldest specimens, nearly 100 years old. So here's to another century of sakura. Mata aimashou. I'll see you next time. Watch our Nature Playlist for more top 15 videos about beautiful nature. Sit back, relax, and binge-watch all of our best nature videos. The Top 5 Show has launched channel memberships. Thank you to our channel members.