Cherry Blossom Watch Updates

The latest information on Washington DC’s cherry blossoms, including peak bloom forecasts and photos of how the trees look.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - March 1, 2020 taken by David Coleman.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 1, 2020

It’s a beautifully clear and cool morning down at the Tidal Basin. The National Park Service said that the cherry trees had reached the green buds stage as of February 28. Stay tuned on Wednesday for the National Park Service’s announcement of their initial peak bloom prediction.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - February 22, 2020 taken by David Coleman.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: February 22, 2020

There are some early green buds starting to poke through on some of the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin, the area’s daffodils are coming out, as are some of the apricot blossoms and other early-spring flowering fruit trees.

Photo of  taken by David Coleman.

Reader Photos 2019 | Part 4

Here are some more of the beautiful photos of 2019’s bloom of the cherry blossoms that were submitted by Cherry Blossom Watch readers. This is the final installment.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms taken by David Coleman.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2019

The cherry blossoms are mostly done now. You can still find flowers out, but they’re fading fast. The good news, though, is that the warm temperatures of the past few days have helped push the Kwanzan cherry blossoms along.

Photo of  taken by David Coleman.

Reader Photos 2019 | Part 3

Here are some more of the beautiful photos of 2019’s bloom of the cherry blossoms that were submitted by Cherry Blossom Watch readers. This is part 3.

Photo of  taken by David Coleman.

Reader Photos 2019 | Part 2

These are some of the beautiful photos of 2019’s bloom of the cherry blossoms that were submitted by Cherry Blossom Watch readers. This is part 2–more to come.

Photo of  taken by David Coleman.

Reader Photos 2019 | Part 1

These are some of the beautiful photos of 2019’s bloom of the cherry blossoms that were submitted by Cherry Blossom Watch readers. This is part 1–more to come.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 7, 2019 taken by David Coleman.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 7, 2019

The cherry blossoms are still looking pretty, especially from a distance, but up close it’s becoming easier to tell that they’re past their prime. There are fewer petals on the trees, more petals on the ground, and more green leaves sprouting.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - April 6, 2019 taken by David Coleman.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 6, 2019

The cherry blossoms are still looking lovely. They didn’t get through yesterday’s rain entirely unscathed–it did knock some petals off, and you can see plenty of cherry blossom “snow” on the ground. But from a distance it’s hard to tell.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - March 31, 2019 taken by David Coleman.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 31, 2019

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom now. They’re white and fluffy and billowing. This morning’s weather isn’t the ideal setting to showcase the blossoms, but it’s still a beautiful sight.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms taken by David Coleman.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 30, 2019

The cherry blossoms are coming into full bloom, although there’s still plenty of flowers yet to open. More and more will open up over the next few days. If you head down this weekend you won’t be disappointed.

Photo of Red bridge at the Tidal Basin taken by David Coleman.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 29, 2019

The cherry blossoms are really starting to come along now. They’re not in full bloom yet, but many trees are starting to flower. Warm temperatures today and tomorrow will make them pop.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - March 28, 2019 taken by David Coleman.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 28, 2019

There’s now no difficulty finding flowers out. Many of the trees have at least some flowers opening; some trees have many. The warmer temperatures on Friday and Saturday will make them really start popping.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - March 27, 2019 taken by David Coleman.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 27, 2019

Many of the trees are in the puffy white stage now, and you can clearly see the white petals coming through. And more trees have at least a few flowers opening on them now, although it’s still only a tiny portion of the flowers that will be coming out over the next several days.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - March 23, 2019 - Saucer Magnolias at the Enid A. Haupt Garden taken by David Coleman.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 23, 2019

The cool temperatures have kept the pace quite slow, but the cherry trees are making progress toward the bloom. It is technically possible to find some early blossoms out, but it’s only the tiniest fraction of them and you really have to go hunting for them.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - March 19, 2019 taken by David Coleman.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 19, 2019

The National Park Service has judged that the trees have reached the “florets visible” stage. Many of the trees are beyond that, and from a distance you can see that the trees are getting a reddish-brown tinge as the bud development progresses.

Photo of Spring Solstice Sunrise at the Lincoln Memorial taken by David Coleman.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 17, 2019

What a difference a couple of very warm days makes! We’ve seen temperatures climb into the upper 70s, and that gave the cherry blossoms quite a jolt. The indicator tree now has its first flowers open.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - March 14, 2019 taken by David Coleman.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 14, 2019

The buds on the cherry trees are making slow but steady progress. They still have some work to do, and they’re still quite far behind where they were this time last year, but a couple of very warm days today and tomorrow will help move things along a little.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - March 11, 2019 taken by David Coleman.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 11, 2019

We’re coming out of a cold spell and turning the corner into a milder stretch. The buds are coming along nicely, with most trees now with green buds and some heading into the “florets visible” stage.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: February 25, 2019

There’s not much to see on the trees yet. Temperatures for February continue to average a few degrees above normal. And the National Park Service will be announcing their initial peak bloom prediction at a press conference on March 6.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - February 17, 2019 taken by David Coleman.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: February 18, 2019

The cherry blossom buds are still wrapped tight for winter, but there are some other scattered signs of spring. Some of the earliest apricot blossoms and other flowering fruit trees are just starting to show some flowers.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms - February 9, 2019 taken by David Coleman.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: February 10, 2019

Despite some attention-grabbing cold blasts in recent weeks, the temperatures so far this winter have continued to average warmer-than-normal overall. But there’s still not much to see on the trees.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Reader Photos 2018 | Part 4

These are some of the beautiful photos of 2018’s bloom of the cherry blossoms that were submitted by Cherry Blossom Watch readers. This is part 4.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 13, 2018

The cherry blossom snow is coming down more steadily now as petals get knocked off in the breeze. The trees aren’t looking as white and fluffy as they had been, especially up close, but as of late this morning they were still looking pretty.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Reader Photos 2018 | Part 3

These are some of the beautiful photos of 2018’s bloom of the cherry blossoms that were submitted by Cherry Blossom Watch readers. This is part 1–more to come.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 12, 2018

A week after peak bloom the cherry blossoms are still looking very pretty, but if you look up close you can clearly see that they’re past their prime now. More petals have been coming off, and more green leaves are poking through.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 11, 2018

Petals are starting to come off, but for now it’s a very gentle pace. The cold weather has slowed development down and kept the green leaves at bay. So the cherry blossoms are still holding up well and looking beautiful.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Reader Photos 2018 | Part 2

These are some of the beautiful photos of 2018’s bloom of the cherry blossoms that were submitted by Cherry Blossom Watch readers. This is part 1–more to come.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 10, 2018

The cherry blossoms are still going strong and looking lovely. Some light showers overnight didn’t have much effect, and the petals are coming off only very slowly for now.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Reader Photos 2018 | Part 1

These are some of the beautiful photos of 2018’s bloom of the cherry blossoms that were submitted by Cherry Blossom Watch readers. This is part 1–more to come.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 8, 2018

Despite a chilly breeze, this morning at the Tidal Basin is quite spectacular, and the cherry blossoms are looking fluffy and full and magnificent. It’s a prime viewing day.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 4, 2018

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom now. While not every tree is fully out, most are. They’re on track for peak bloom in the coming days, and the National Park Service yesterday tweaked their peak bloom prediction again, bringing it forward to Thursday through Sunday (April 5-8).

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 3, 2018

The blossoms themselves are shaping up nicely for later in the week. Many of them are in full bloom now, although there are still some holdouts that haven’t started properly yet.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: April 2, 2018

Sunny and warm conditions through the weekend brought more flowers out, and they’re looking lovely as they move into full bloom. It now looks increasingly likely that peak bloom will come ahead of the predicted dates.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 31, 2018

If you head down to the Tidal Basin this weekend you won’t have any trouble whatsoever finding cherry blossoms out. The warm weather of the past few days has worked its magic in bringing more flowers out.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 29, 2018

It’s now getting much easier to find at least a few blossoms coming out. Quite a few of the trees are starting to show a few flowers each, and while it’s still only a tiny proportion of the total, they’re easy to find all the way around the Tidal Basin.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 26, 2018

The slow trickle continues. It’s becoming a little easier to find some scattered flowers out this morning, but most of them aren’t there yet. But if milder temperatures arrive later in the week, as expected, it will inject some energy into their progress.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Peak Bloom Predictions Revised Again

Both the National Park Service and the *Washington Post*’s Capital Weather today revised their peak bloom predictions, pushing them back even further. Both are now predicting April 8 to 12.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 19, 2018

There’s not much new on the trees since yesterday, but I’ve been getting a lot of questions about things like how this week’s weather forecast will affect things and how this coming weekend is shaping up. So I’m focusing below mostly on answering some of the most common questions.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 12, 2018

There’s been steady progress, but with the continuing cool temperatures it has been slow. There are some flowers starting to come out on the so-called indicator tree, but it’s not yet in full bloom. The vast majority still have some work to do before they’re getting really close to blooming.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 8, 2018

There’s been some progress, but it’s at a gentle pace in these cool temperatures. The indicator tree is just starting to show some puffy white blossoms that are ready to pop.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 6, 2018

The buds are still doing their thing and still have a way to go before blooming. There’s some unsettled weather coming up over the next week or so, but it shouldn’t pose too many problems for the cherry trees.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 1, 2018

Around the Tidal Basin, the buds are clearly making progress. And, as usual, the so-called indicator tree is marching ahead of the others. It’s typically a week to 10 days ahead. Stay tuned for the National Park Service peak bloom prediction to be issued later this morning.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: February 27, 2018

The National Park Service determined that 70 percent of the buds had reached the “Green Buds” stage on February 25. That is just a day later than last year and is earlier than the average.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: January 31, 2018

The short version is that there’s still not much to report. The cherry trees are still in their winter mode and aren’t showing any signs of the buds developing yet. No peak bloom forecasts have been issued yet. Expect those to start coming in about 4 to 5 weeks.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: January 19, 2018

The first update in the 2018 Cherry Blossom Watch! For now, the Tidal Basin is covered in ice and there’s nothing to see in terms of bud development. It’s still too early to have any real idea of when the cherry blossoms will reach peak bloom in 2018, but here’s a rundown of where things stand.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Reader Photos 2017 | Part 3

This is the final installment of reader photos for this year. Thanks to all who shared their beautiful photos!

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Reader Photos 2017 | Part 1

Here are some great photos of 2017’s bloom of the cherry blossoms that were submitted by Cherry Blossom Watch readers. This is part 1.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 31, 2017

The cherry blossoms are past their prime now and well on their way out. The persistent rain is knocking a lot of petals off, but there are still plenty of petals left on the trees.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 28, 2017

Now that we’re at three days after the peak bloom day, the cherry blossoms are turning pink and still looking great, but they’re also becoming fragile. The rain is knocking petals off and blanketing the ground with cherry blossom snow.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 26, 2017

The cherry blossoms reached peak bloom yesterday. As expected, the bloom this year is a little more subdued than usual simply because it’s firing with only half its usual firepower. Despite that, though, they’re putting on a beautiful show. Over the next few days the blossoms will gradually go from white to a pale pink.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 22, 2017

They’re not yet in full bloom, but they’ve taken a big step in that direction in the past 24 hours. Once we get through freezing temperatures tonight, things are shaping up beautifully for the weekend.

Photo of Washington DC Cherry Blossoms.

Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 16, 2017

Where there should be white and pink there’s now a lot of brown. Many of the ones that were in the late stages right before fully blooming have been damaged badly. But it’s by no means all of them.