D.C.’s cherry trees sprout puffy white blossoms on way to peak bloom

The cherry trees along the Tidal Basin started showing white blossoms on Monday and are just one stage away from reaching peak bloom.

The trees on Saturday reached the fourth stage of the peak bloom cycle, which is when the stems that support the blossoms, called peduncles, grow longer.

The warm weather over the weekend then caused the blossoms to appear Monday, the National Mall and Memorial Parks account said on social media, marking the puffy white fifth stage in the cycle.

All that remains is for the blossoms to open. Peak bloom is defined by the National Park Service as when 70% or more of the trees have open blossoms. 

The trees reached the fifth stage in the cycle on the same day in 2025, then ended up hitting peak bloom on March 28.

The National Mall and Memorial Parks account said Tuesday that peak bloom “could be here in a day or two,” which would be earlier than the projected peak bloom dates between this Sunday and April 1.

The cherry blossoms are still holding at Stage 5: Puffy White. Peak Bloom could be here in a day or two. Please:

Walk, bike, or take the Metro
Bring water & snacks
Don’t pick the blossoms or climb the trees
#CherryBlossom #WashingtonDChttps://t.co/h04Gu0ksc1 pic.twitter.com/7QKwHbO1gZ

— National Mall NPS (@NationalMallNPS) March 24, 2026

Amid the changes to the trees, the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival celebrating the coming of peak bloom started Friday and will run through April 12.