2023 Peak Bloom
The NPS judged that the Yoshino cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin reached peak bloom on March 23, 2023. They're now done for the year..
If Thursday felt like the beginning of summer, by Saturday it felt like winter again. There was even a little snow and sleet around the area.
A couple of cooler days have slowed the pace a little. Most of the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin are still in the green bud stage, but there are also quite a few that are getting more definition with the florets visible–I've included some examples below.
The indicator tree is still flowering, but not all of its flowers are open yet. And the saucer magnolias are still coming into bloom but have many yet to open (I have a separate update on them with more photos here).
The National Park Service will be announcing their peak bloom prediction on Wednesday. At this point, it's mostly a question of just how early the bloom will be this year.
How It Looks This Morning
These were all taken this morning.
Indicator Tree
All of these photos are of the indicator tree, a single tree that reliably blooms ahead of the others. You can find more information about it here.
Saucer Magnolias
I've posted a separate update on the saucer magnolias at the Enid A. Haupt Garden that includes more photos, but here are a few shots from this morning.
Oh Lordy, I am in Florida gonna hop on a plane as soon as the come out all of this is making me nuts! So excited!
They’ve announced their prediction: March 22 to 25. More info in today’s update.
Of course, it all depends on how the weather actually pans out, so it’s also quite possible for the predictions to change.