Despite the chilly weather, NYC’s cherry blossoms are beginning to bloom

Never mind the chilly weather — cherry blossoms are beginning to pop off in New York City.

While it may seem early for the first blossoms, city horticulturalists say the first floral delights are starting to appear around the same time as in previous years. The first hint of a pink explosion came last week during warmer weather.

About 10% of the New York Botanical Garden’s 543 cherry blossom trees are in bloom, and a single tree is blossoming in Snug Harbor on Staten Island. Some cherry blossoms are also blooming in Central Park.

“The in-your-face proliferation of some of these pink blossoms is just inherently attractive to people’s sensibilities,” said Matthew Morrow, director of horticulture at the city parks department.

Cherry blossoms in New York City usually bloom between early March and the beginning of May.

Caretakers of the city’s gardens and parks say they can’t predict if the city will get an early peak bloom like Washington, D.C., which just experienced the second-earliest peak bloom on record.

But local gardeners predicted the peak bloom will paint the Big Apple pink in the next few weeks. There are several trackers online for blossom fanatics, including from the New York Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Central Park.

Temperatures are a big influence on cherry blossoms. The ancient trees need a cold winter to develop their buds. This year, New York City had the warmest January on record.

“Since we’ve had more warmer days, they’re just developing faster,” said Melissa Finley, curator of woody plants at New York Botanical Garden.

The first cherry blossoms in the country were a gift from Japan in 1912. The Japanese government sent more than 3,000 trees in recognition of friendship with the United States. Some of the trees were sent to New York City and planted in…