WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — The annual Cherry Blossom Festival is right around the corner and with some trees already blooming, will this mean peak bloom will follow this trend?
It’s nearly impossible to predict when the cherry blossom trees at the tidal basin are going to hit peak bloom. But February 23rd marks the earliest the trees have ever hit stage 1 or green bud stage in the last 20 years.
According to the EPA, the peak bloom date has occurred before April 4th in 16 of the past 20 years. In the past, peak bloom has occurred as early as March 15th and as late as April 18th.
Cyrus Sussman has lived in the District for almost 14 years. He says the excitement of peak bloom still hasn’t dissipated even after living in the District for over a decade.
“It’s a special thing. It kinda comes at a time when you’re sick of the winter and it’s a nice pick me up,” Sussman said. “I just love walking around the Tidal Basin and seeing the whole thing lit up. It’s pretty cool to see an entire ring of pink and white blossoms all around it.”
Some cherry blossom trees around the District are already blooming but the National Park Service calculates their bloom stage dates based on 70 percent of the Tidal Basin cherry blossom trees.
The Cherry Blossom Festival is set to kick off on March 20th, but this early bloom and early bud stage already have people excited, especially Evgeniya Shulga who is visiting the District for the first time.
“I would love to come back during the actual season they’re here, I know that it’s short-lived,” Shulga said. “Even right now, I find beauty in nature here, but I’m sure that when it actually sprouts and blossoms, it’ll be really beautiful.”
The National Park Service says it’s nearly impossible to give an accurate forecast any more than 10 days before peak bloom, but the agency provides updates online and on social media.
