In 1912, Japan gifted 3,000 flowering cherry trees to Washington, DC. Today, the National Cherry Blossom Festival honors that gift of friendship.
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Bloom watch is over — because the cherry blossoms have arrived! Today, the National Park Service (NPS) announced that the iconic trees at the National Mall have reached peak bloom.
Originally projected for March 29 through April 1, a burst of spring warmth helped push the blossoms ahead of schedule.
Each spring, Washington, D.C. is transformed by cherry blossoms, a tradition that started in 1912 with Japan’s gift of 3,000 trees to the city.
HOW DC’S CHERRY BLOSSOMS ARE A LIVING VALENTINE FROM JAPAN
In the past, unusually warm or cool temperatures have led peak cherry blossom bloom to occur as early as March 15, 1990, and as late as April 18, 1958.
The National Park Service announced peak bloom for the iconic cherry blossom trees at the National Mall Thursday March 26.
(@NationalMallNPS / X)
According to the National Mall NPS, today’s cherry blossom display is a “splendid spring spectacle.”
Peak bloom is officially reached when roughly 70 percent of the cherry blossoms are open.
WHY SPRING SHOULD ACTUALLY BEGIN ON MARCH 1
These beautiful flowering trees typically hold their peak for just a few days, though timing depends heavily on the weather.
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 29: The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. memorial surrounded by cherry blossom trees as the cherry blossoms hit peak bloom on March 29, 2025 in Washington, DC.
(Shannon Finney/WireImage / Getty Images)
“Cool, calm weather can extend the length of the bloom, while a rainy, windy day can bring an abrupt end to the ephemeral blossoms,” the NPS said.
Millions of visitors attend every year to see the picturesque cherry blossoms, which create a stunning row of pink and white around the Jefferson Memorial and the Tidal Basin.
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People visit the Jefferson Memorial as cherry trees bloom, on the Tidal Basin near in Washington, DC, on March 29, 2025.
(Drew ANGERER / AFP) -
Puffy white cherry blossoms appear in Washington, D.C. on March 23, 2026.
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Thousands of people gather near Washington Monument to participate in the annual Blossom Kite Festival, while the cherry trees blossom in Washington, D.C., the United States on March 29, 2025.
(MOHAMMAD REZA MOUSAVI/Middle East Images/AFP) -
Cherry blossoms reach peak bloom om 3/28/2025
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Cherry blossom trees frame the Jefferson Memorial along the tidal basin in Washington. The pink and white cherry blossoms draw a million visitors each spring to Washington, DC. It was 100 years ago the first of 3,000 trees were planted as part of a gift from Japan as a symbol of friendship.
(Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis )
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