Cherry Blossoms Transform Iconic D.C. Landmarks A Week Early

The cherry blossoms of Washington, D.C., officially hit peak bloom on Friday, a week earlier than usual.

The National Park Service defines “peak bloom,” as the time when 70 percent of the Yoshino cherry blossoms surrounding D.C.’s Tidal Basin have opened.

But if the early blooms are screwing up your plans to see the blossoms in D.C., don’t panic -- you may still have time to catch the trees in all their glory. The pink and white blossoms are typically still in bloom for two days after “peak bloom,” Cherry Blossom Watch explains. The petals start to drop off about three to five days after, but the trees often still look good.

A week after, the petals usually have mostly fallen off, though the ground covered in pink petals is beautiful in its own right. Cherry Blossom Watch also notes that the Kwanzan Cherry Blossoms, located at various sites around D.C., usually bloom about 15 days after the Yoshinos do.

But just in case you can't see it in person, here are some photos of this year’s bloom so far.

Even more photos of the blossoms:

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