Cherry Blossoms in peak bloom at Descanso Gardens

Credit: Descanso Gardens

The magnificent cherry blossoms that emerge in Japan in the spring have begun to reach peak bloom right here in Los Angeles.

Each spring, Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge explodes in blossoms of all varieties. The two main ornamental cherry tree varieties, ‘Akebono’ and ‘Beni Hoshi’, are now in peak bloom.

Typically, blossoms reach peak bloom between the last week of March and the first week of April.

The ‘Akebono’ cherry tree produces an abundance of pink flowers in spring, creating soft clouds of color. The flowers gradually fade to white as they open fully, adding depth and dimension to the canopy of blooms. The ‘Beni Hoshi’ is a crowd-pleaser, producing vivid pink flowers with long petals that hang below the branches. The two tend to bloom in tandem, and when they do, the Japanese Garden is seemingly aglow in pink. The blooms don't last long, adding to their ephemeral nature and beauty.

For those who love lilacs, they are blooming profusely in Descanso’s lilac garden. Known for their intoxicating scent, the lilacs are breath-taking in shades of purple and white.

Credit: Descanso Gardens

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Descanso Gardens still has COVID-19 safety protocols and procedures in place, which includes limiting capacity to 30%, selling timed tickets to limit the number of people at the entry at any given time, keeping all indoor spaces closed including the Sturt Haaga Gallery and Boddy House, cleaning restrooms every half hour, and removing seating from the courtyard to give space for social distancing. 

Descanso Gardens is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults; $11 for seniors and students with a school I.D.; $5 for children ages five to 12, and free for children under the age of five. Timed tickets are required for everyone and are available at descansogardens.org.