What to Know About This Year’s Cherry Blossom Blooms Spring, is that you? Where and when to find peak blooms in Washington, D.C., as well as New York, New Jersey, Oregon and Georgia. Graying snow piles. Layers upon layers of clothes. Never-ending cabin fever. This year’s winter tested even the hardiest of souls. But fear not: The promise of pink blossoms is upon us. Cherry blossoms are on track to make their annual emergence in the next few weeks across the United States as their pink and white petals burst onto the scene. Spring, is that you? Here’s what to know about this year’s blooms. Where can I see cherry blossoms? Over the next few weeks, throngs of visitors are expected to descend on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., where 3,800 ornamental cherry trees are getting ready to bloom around the Tidal Basin. As of Friday, the blossoms were still in Stage 3 — “the extension of florets” — but were expected to move into Stage 4 over the weekend, which is when a noticeable pink hue will begin to appear. The trees are expected to reach peak bloom sometime between March 29 and April 1. “It’s been a roller coaster here for the last couple weeks,” said Michael Litterst, a spokesman for the National Mall and Memorial Parks, noting that there was a more-than-50-degree temperature swing in 24 hours last week. But the buds were still tight at that point, he said, and survived the shifts in weather. In New York City, a visit to the Cherry Esplanade at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a springtime favorite. The 230 cherry blossom trees — 50 species and cultivars, 31 of which are flowering — are expected to start blooming at the end of next week, said Shauna Moore, the garden’s director of horticulture. About 150 of the trees have a dedicated bloom tracker.#tidal_basin #national_mall #brooklyn_botanic_garden #cherry_esplanade #national_mall_and_memorial_parks
