Peak bloom of D.C. cherry blossoms could come later, says National Park Service

Officials project that the District of Columbia’s cherry blossoms will hit peak bloom later than in recent years due to this winter’s harsh cold.

The National Park Service explains on its website that the date for peak bloom can vary year by year based on temperature.

Warm years see trees hit peak bloom early, such as in 1990 when the trees did so on March 15, while colder years hit it later, such as in 1958 when the trees along the Tidal Basin reached that level April 18, officials said.

NPS spokesman Mike Litterst told Axios that, given the colder weather earlier this winter, peak bloom is expected to happen “later in the season than we’ve seen for the last few years.” Peak bloom occurred on March 28 last year, on March 17 in 2024, on March 23 in 2023 and on March 21, the first day of spring, in 2022, according to NPS data.

The blooming process begins with the branches of the city’s cherry trees showing green buds. In data going back to 2004, the earliest date for green buds was in 2008, when they started appearing on Feb. 19, and the latest date was in 2015 when they showed up on March 18.

The weather in the city over the course of the blooming cycle also plays a role in when peak bloom appears, and the length of the process can vary dramatically. For example, in 2008 it took around five weeks for the trees to reach peak bloom on March 26, while in 2024 trees started with green buds on March 2 and reached peak bloom just 15 days later on March 17.

The freezing cold will not be an issue for the health of the trees. Mr. Litterst said the trees along the Tidal Basin have weathered winters with worse cold and higher amounts of snow.

New trees are being added to the overall stock of cherry trees along the Tidal Basin this year, replacing trees removed for seawall rehabilitation and reconstruction work in 2024.

The new saplings, most of which are cherry trees, will be planted over the course of the coming months, NPS officials said on social media Wednesday.

The new trees were “paid for by a generous donation from the nation of Japan in the continued spirit of cultural exchange,” akin to the original stock of cherry trees in the District, officials said.

The original trees were given as a gesture of friendship by Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki in 1912.