Cherry blossom season has begun blooming in Washington, D.C. as cherry trees reach just one step away from peak bloom.
The National Park Service, on Sunday, announced the capital’s famed cherry trees have reached “stage 5 – Puffy White” with blossom starting to show.
“Now we’re just waiting on them to open,” NPS said in a post on X. “Peak Bloom is next!”
D.C.’s famed blossoms, a gift of Japan in 1912, “signal Washington’s beginning of spring with an explosion of life and color that surrounds the Tidal Basin in a sea of pale pink and white blossoms,” NPS says. The tradition of celebrating the cherry blossoms, the national flower of Japan, also originated there, with the tradition of hanami, which translates to flower looking, during which people flock to parks and gardens to admire these beautiful and fragile flowers.
The annual National Cherry Blossom Festival in D.C., which celebrates these flowers, and the advent of the warm weather draws millions of visitors each year as they flock to the capital to witness the trees bloom. Last year, 1.6 million visitors visited D.C. and its surrounding areas for cherry blossom season, according to festival organizers and Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office.
See pictures of cherry blossoms beginning to bloom in Washington D.C.:
When is peak bloom?
The National Park Service (NPS) had earlier announced peak bloom season for the District of Columbia’s Tidal Basin cherry blossoms to fall between March 28-31 this year.
The peak bloom date is “defined as the period when 70% of the Yoshino Cherry blossoms are open,” according to the park service. About 3,800 cherry trees grow around the Tidal Basin and National Mall.
The dates are a prediction, NPS added, because peak bloom depends on weather conditions.
“Peak Bloom varies annually depending on weather conditions and usually occurs during the last week of March or the first week of April,” NPS said. “Extraordinary warm or cool temperatures have resulted in Peak Bloom as early as March 15 (1990) and as late as April 18 (1958).”
How long is peak bloom?
The length of blooming period also depends on the weather, according to the park service. Cool and calm weather can extend the length of blooming period, but a rainy, windy day can cause the ephemeral blossoms to end abruptly.
“The Yoshino trees typically bloom for only several days, making a short-lived scene of splendor that is one of Washington, D.C.’s most anticipated events,” NPS said in its announcement.
Where are the best views of the cherry blossoms?
Though cherry blossoms are scattered throughout the capital, the highest concentration of the trees is in Potomac Park, around the Tidal Basin near the Jefferson Memorial, close to the National Mall.
Washington tourism department also recommends off-the-radar spots such as the National Arboretum, Anacostia Park, Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown, Stanton Park and Oxon Run Park.
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Live bloom camera
If you can’t travel to see the cherry blossoms, you can view them live on the bloom camera. The camera provides a live view of the National Mall Tidal Basin from the roof of the hotel Salamander Washington D.C. courtesy of EarthCam.
Cherry blossom Google Doodle
Google, on Monday, celebrated the blooming of the cherry blossoms with an animated Google Doodle that shows a branch of cherry blossoms flowering before being blown away in the wind. Clicking the banner on Google or searching for “cherry blossoms” on the browser also sends a shower of cherry petals down your screen.
“Spring has sprung, and with it, the breathtaking beauty of cherry blossoms!” Google says about the doodle. “This Doodle celebrates the fleeting beauty of these delicate pink blooms, known as sakura in Japanese.”
Contributing: Jennifer Borresen, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
