While D.C. is famous for having beautiful cherry blossoms, one of the often under-acknowledged and incredibly beautiful flower blooms that hit D.C. every year around this time is the plum blossoms.
These trees, which frequently bloom around late January to February are incredibly iconic and beautiful, although, they are often mistaken for cherry blossoms due to their similar pink coloring.
Is it normal for plum blossoms to bloom this early?
Yes, as mentioned above, the plum blossom tree typically blooms in the later stages of winter and is relatively unphased by the typical cold temperatures the District often experiences around this time of year.
That being said, the weather and general climate of any given winter will still have a definitive impact on when these lovely trees bloom and to what extent.
This year, despite having the most snow the District has seen in roughly 6 years, the plum blossoms are arriving practically right on queue!
So, yes, it is normal for plum blossoms to bloom this early!
Last year, they arrived a few weeks earlier due to the unseasonable warmth in late January of 2024, but their arrival later this year was to be expected given the cold.
How long will the plum blossoms be in bloom?
Fortunately, the flowers of D.C.’s Japanese plum blossoms famously stick around longer than the typical cherry blossom flowers do, so while the cherry blossom bloom may come and go in only a week, the plum blossom bloom can last up to a full month!
That being said, naturally, a lot of that depends on how harsh the weather is over the next month, but one thing for certain is that it’s worth checking them out now while you can!
Where to see plum blossoms in Washington, D.C.
To see one of D.C.’s Japanese Plum Blossoms blooming, you can see one now at the U.S. Botanical Garden, there are also some near the D.C. War Memorial on the Mall!
While some of D.C.’s standard cherry blossoms may experience a few sudden “winter blooms” during warmer stretches of the winter, the peak bloom of the cherry blossoms this year is expected to take place around the last week of March and last into the first week of April.
However, with D.C. weather being as unpredictable as ever, it’s hard to say whether it will come sooner given the erratic weather we’ve had lately.