It’s one of my favorite times of year in Cherry Hill – heading down the magnificent two-mile stretch along Chapel Avenue from Haddonfield Road to Kings Highway and seeing the beautiful cherry trees begin to blossom.
A true staple within our community, the vibrant pink cherry blossom trees bloom every year around mid-April. Thousands of the stunning pink-and-white blooms emerge, and symbolize everything wonderful about Cherry Hill – it is truly a great sight to see.
The first trees were planted back in 1972, by a group of civic-minded residents who wanted to unite the community around a common source of pride. Decades later, these blossoms remain a favorite of residents across Cherry Hill and have become a destination in their own right.
These trees give residents and visitors a wonderful opportunity to take a walk down Chapel Avenue and enjoy a sunny day, drive down with friends and family or stop to take photos with the beautiful background.
Besides Chapel Avenue, you can find Cherry Trees throughout the Township, at our parks, throughout our neighborhoods and even at Town Hall, helping to create a shared sense of community throughout the Township.
If you’re curious about planting a Cherry tree at your home, or any new tree, I suggest you check out our list of native trees that’s included in our zoning ordinance, available at CHNJ.gov under “View” on the homepage. There, you can find all the information about the right species to plant in the right space, to ensure it can grow strong and healthy.
I’d also like to encourage residents once again to stop by Barclay Farmstead on April 30 at 2 p.m., where the New Jersey Tree Recovery Campaign will be handing out free tree seedlings. We won’t know for sure exactly what species will be offered until we get closer to the day, but they will be native species and will come with all the details you need to know to keep them growing strong for years to come.
At the Arbor Day event, you’ll also be able to pick up a free reusable Bag Up Cherry Hill bag to help you prepare for the state’s upcoming ban on single-use bags going into effect on May 4. The bags, funded by a NJ Clean Communities grant, are being distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Since there is a limited amount available, we ask you to be courteous and only take two per household. If you can’t make it to the Arbor Day event, we’ll also be handing them out at Town Hall, the Department of Public Works, and a host of other events, including:
- Authors & Artists at Croft Farm from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 1
- Migratory Bird Day at Croft Farm from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 14
- Al Fresco Affair at Croft Farm from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 26
- Senior Spring Fling at Croft Farm from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 9
- Juneteenth at Croft Farm from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 18.
