Washington DC Cherry Blossoms
The blooming of the cherry trees around the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. has come to symbolize the natural beauty of our nation's capital city. Thousands of visitors from across the nation and around the world come to witness the spectacle Washington D.C National Cherry Blossom Festival.
The famous trees, a gift from Japan in 1912, signal the coming of Spring with an explosion of life and color surrounding the
Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin in a
sea of pale pink and white.
2010 Washington DC Cherry Blossom Festival, Peak Bloom Date and Period
The 2010 National Cherry Blossom Festival is scheduled for March 27 - April 11, 2010. The festival's National Cherry Blossom Parade will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 11, on Constitution Avenue between 7th and 17th Streets NW.
The famous Cherry trees, a gift from Japan in 1912, signal the coming of Spring with an explosion of life and color surrounding the Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin in a sea of pale pink and white. The forecast of Cherry Blossom is based upon the weather forecast, and close inspection of the trees themselves to determine the stage of bud development.
The earliest blooming date as been March 15, 1990, and the latest date was marked on April 18, 1958. The average blooming date--that time when the blooms are considered to reach their peak--is April 5 for the Yoshino and April 22 for the double flowering Kwansan trees, mostly seen in East Potomac Park, Washington DC. Check out the Cherry Bloom Photos during the Cherry Bloom Peak Bloom Period.
The history of the cherry trees dates to 1912 when the original trees were planted by First Lady Mrs. William Howard Taft and the Vicountess Chinda of Japan.
Today more than 3,700 cherry trees of several varieties grow around the Tidal Basin, at East Potomac Park, and on the Washington Monument Grounds. Most trees are the Yoshino variety, Japan's favorite cultivated cherry tree that was developed about 1870 and presented as a gift in 1912. They encircle the Tidal Basin and can also be seen in abundance on the Monument grounds. Click here to learn about the Cherry Trees around Tidal Basin and National Mall.
