National Park Service: Peak bloom for D.C.’s cherry trees is expected between March 29 and April 1

The National Park Service announced Thursday that the Tidal Basin’s cherry blossom trees will reach peak bloom between March 29 and April 1.

The park service defines peak bloom as “the period of time when 70% of the Yoshino cherry blossoms … are open.”

However, as of Thursday, the trees had not entered the first stage of the bloom cycle, in which green buds sprout from the branches.

The weather after the cycle starts will affect when the trees enter peak bloom and the cherry blossoms appear in their fullest form. If peak bloom happens when park officials expect, it will be the latest since 2019, when peak bloom occurred on April 1.

The earliest peak bloom date on record was in 1990, when it happened on March 15, and the latest on record occurred in 1958, when it happened on April 18.

Kevin Griess, superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, said during Thursday’s press conference that there are 400 new trees along the Tidal Basin this year. They were installed after other trees were removed for restoration work on the seawall.

Japan provided 250 of the new trees, and the rest were paid for by the 2020 Great American Outdoors Act, Mr. Griess said.

He said the descendants of the famous Stumpy, grown from grafts taken when the tree was removed for the restoration work, will be installed this year. A ceremony to commemorate the new sea wall and walkways will be held sometime after the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

National Cherry Blossom Festival President Diana Mayhew said the peak bloom dates determined the dates for BloomFest, a series of musical performances that are part of the festival, which runs March 20-April 12.

BloomFest will run from Friday, March 27, through Saturday, April 11, Ms. Mayhew said, coinciding with the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade on April 11.