It's a beautiful spring morning out. A very small number of trees are just starting to pop. Each of them is still in the very early stages, you can count them all on one hand, and they're widely scattered. But they are there.
The vast majority of trees have not yet started to bloom. A tree that's starting to pop might be next to one that's still in the peduncle elongation stage. Others are starting the puffy white stage. Most of them have a definite pink color now.
Yesterday, the Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang revised their forecast for the peak bloom date to fall between April 6 and April 10. The National Park Service is sticking with April 3-6.
There is actually one small outlier tree over east of the Jefferson Memorial that already passed peak bloom last weekend. It's known as the "Indicator Tree" and typically blooms 7 to 10 days before the rest of them.
If you're hoping to do engagement photos in the next couple of days (or any other people photos, for that matter), it might be worth heading over to the middle of the southwestern bank next to the FDR Memorial. One of the trees that's starting to bloom is on the part that juts out into the lake. The branches of that tree arch over the water, creating a nice frame with the Jefferson Memorial in the background, and you can frame it in such a way that you don't have to worry about any other people that are around getting in the shot. And if you can't make the cherry blossoms work for the shot, head over to the George Mason Memorial (between the Jefferson Memorial and the Potomac) and you'll find some very pretty Tulip Magnolias. There are also some Japanese Weeping Cherry Trees out along the Potomac waterfront, with some nice shots possible with the river in the background.
Want to Help Support DC's Cherry Trees?
If you'd like to help support the care and upkeep of the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin, the Trust for The National Mall has launched an Endow a Cherry Tree Campaign. Donations go to the official Cherry Tree Endowment, which will give the National Park Service additional resources to fund the care, maintenance, and possible replacement of the cherry trees. You can find more information here.
The Trust is dedicated to marshaling private support for maintaining and improving the history National Mall area. I'm not affiliated with the Trust--just an admirer of their efforts.