An Ode to Cherry Blossom Season, As Captured by 11 Photographers

Every spring, we look out the window and find an amazing surprise: the cherry blossoms are blooming again. Backyard branches that were once bare are now cloud-like with pink, white and purple flowers. The last gusts of winter wind blew through the trees, scattering confetti into the air. It’s cherry blossom season—that brief, mysterious time of renewal.

Japan’s tradition of celebrating cherry blossoms dates back centuries. In the United States, these trees are a relatively recent addition. The first cherry blossom tree in the United States was planted in Washington, D.C., in 1912 as a gift from Japan, according to the National Park Service. (In return, President Taft presented Japan with flowering dogwood trees.) First Lady Helen Herron Taft and the Japanese ambassador’s wife, Viscountess Iwakinada, planted the first two trees in a small ceremony that became the first of Washington’s now-famous National Cherry Blossom Festival. There are also festivals in San Francisco, Copenhagen, Seoul, various places in Japan, etc. Attendees sometimes wore floral-inspired attire, from flowing floral dresses to pink berets.

Some cherry blossom superfans use interactive maps to track the blooms, like the Central Park or Brooklyn Botanic Gardens trackers, which are filled with cute little flower icons and information about each tree for the curious. My best friend watches the Brooklyn Tracker like a hawk, updating the group chat with increasingly colorful screenshots until we all know it’s time to capture the trees in bloom.

To celebrate the fleeting yet perennial magic of cherry blossoms that can be found everywhere, Fashion We asked 11 photographers to share some of their favorite photos of cherry blossom trees. Below, check out their picks.