Despite the official predictions from the National Park Services that the Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom would take place between March 23rd and March 26th, the official Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom Watch site has declared that peak bloom started on March 17th! A full six days earlier than expected, and two days earlier than Washinton Post’s initial prediction of a March 19th Peak Bloom date.
This is the second earliest Peak Bloom of DC’s Cherry Blossoms in its recorded history, the only year it came earlier than March 17th, was in 1990 when the Cherry Blossom’s blooms peaked on March 15th as a result of an incredibly warm winter.
What is the DC Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom and what does it mean?
Peak Bloom, is a reference to DC’s abundant amount of Yoshino Cherry Trees, the iconic Japanese cherry trees blossom every year in early spring around late March to early April, which converts nearly all of DC into a pink paradise with pink flower petals in site across the whole city. Naturally, given how beautiful the scenery is when these cherry blossoms bloom, it’s turned into a cultural phenomenon here in DC in which locals and tourists alike flock to the most beautiful places to view the cherry blossoms to take photos and share romantic moments.
When referring to peak bloom, it is talking about the day that 70% of the Yoshino cherry blossoms in DC are open. For instance, during peak bloom, 70% of all of DC’s cherry blossoms are fully bloomed and flowered, but naturally, this only happens for a short period; this does not mean that this will be the only time when you will be able to see bloomed cherry blossom trees in DC, it just means that it is when you will see the most of these trees bloomed.
Why is the DC Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom so important?
As stated above, over the years, DC’s cherry blossoms have turned into a cultural phenomenon and peak bloom is the period when people will typically put in the most effort to visit DC because of its incredibly beautiful sites. Now, peak bloom also has significance to local culture as well now that DC hosts the National Cherry Blossom Festival every year, which is an overarching celebration of the cherry blossoms and hosts several events throughout the “cherry blossom season”! The extremely short blooming period of these flowers is known throughout the world as a symbol of the fleeting beauty of life, coming quickly to capture awe and attention only to disappear just weeks or even days later.
What stage of the bloom are the DC Cherry Blossoms in?
Right now, DC’s Cherry Blossoms are in bloom stage six, which is known as “Peak Bloom“, which means that the full bloom are here and will only stay visible for a few more days!
How many stages are there in the DC Cherry Blossom blooming process?
There are nine stages of the Cherry Blossom’s blooming process, but in reality, we only care about the first six stages that take place every year sometime in early Spring (between mid-to-late March to early-to-mid April).
As you can imagine, local media and the National Park Services like to track when the Cherry Blossoms enter each stage and regularly try to predict when the D.C. Cherry Blossoms will hit their peak bloom. As you can imagine, cold winters or sudden temperature drops in March could result in a later usual Peak Bloom, whereas the opposite is true if there happen to be consistent warm temperatures leading up to Spring.
That being said, the exact stages of the
Stage 1 – Green Buds: Buds begin to grow and a green coloring appears as the trees prepare for blooming.
Stage 2 – Florets Visible: Tiny florets become visible within the buds as they progress towards blooming.
Stage 3 – Florets Extended: The florets extend further from the buds, signaling imminent blooming.
Stage 4 – Peduncle Elongation: Peduncles, or flower stalks, lengthen, bringing the blossoms closer to full bloom.
Stage 5 – Puffy White: Blossoms reach their “puffy white” stage, with petals fully formed but still closed.
Stage 6 – Peak Bloom: At least 70% of the Blossoms are fully open, displaying their delicate beauty in full bloom.
Stage 7 – Green Leaves: The Cherry Blossom blooms have fallen away, leaving only the tree’s green leaves behind.
Stage 8 – Fall/Autumn: The Cherry Blossom’s leaves turn an iconic fall color palette ranging from bright yellows to deep reds, and covering the full spectrum in between.
Stage 9 – Winter Dormant: After the Fall’s leaves have fallen, the tree goes into a dormant period for the colder season; awaiting next spring to bloom again, starting the annual cycle once more.
Why does DC have so many Cherry Blossoms?
The Yoshino Cherry Blossoms were a gift from Japan; in 1912 the mayor of Tokyo sent Washington, DC around 3,000 cherry blossoms as a symbol of friendship and unity between the United States and Japan. The diplomatic gesture was a sign of good faith and a nod to the cultural importance and significance that these trees have in Japanese culture, dating far back in history with cherry blossom festivals celebrating the transient nature of life and the beauty of nature.