D.C.’s famed cherry blossoms have budded, bloomed and blown away

Washington Monument with blooming cherry blossom trees and a bird in a clear blue sky. — The Washington Monument stands tall over cherry blossom trees while a seagull flies in the distance. Early spring not only shows blooming flowers but the return of birds that migrate south. Photo taken March 27, 2025. (Photo by Madeline Bates/Cronkite News)

WASHINGTON – Every year at the end of March, the National Park Service hosts the National Cherry Blossom Festival at the Tidal Basin.

Residents and tourists alike keep close tabs on the timing of “peak bloom,” a spectacular but brief display of pink. They picnic and pose under the branches near the Jefferson Memorial, Washington Monument and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.

Outdoor stage at the National Cherry Blossom Festival with a performer and crowd. — Two singers perform in front of a beer garden near the Tidal Basin on March 27, 2025, during the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.

Two people sit under a cherry blossom tree by a shimmering river. — Two girls picnic at the Tidal Basin on March 27, 2025, during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. (Photos by Madeline Bates/Cronkite News)

As spring unfolds, the Park Service issues regular updates on the buds’ progress.

This year’s festival drew over 1.5 million visitors and $200 million in revenue for the nation’s capital, even as government-wide cuts hit more than 1,000 Park Service employees nationwide.

People enjoying cherry blossoms near the Jefferson Memorial. — Tourists walk in front of the railing at the Tidal Basin. Across the water is the Thomas Jefferson Memorial with cherry blossom trees craning toward the ground. Photo taken March 27, 2025.

Cherry blossom branches with the Washington Monument in the background under a blue sky. — The Washington Monument looms over the white and pink blossoms on Japanese cherry blossom trees in Washington, D.C., on March 27, 2025.

Street with large art display boards and cherry blossoms. — Two boards stand facing the sun. Both read “Student Art Showcase” and display student art submitted to the National Parks Service. Photo taken March 27, 2025. (Photos by Madeline Bates/Cronkite News)

The trees, called “sakura” in Japan, were a gift from the city of Tokyo.

The original shipment of 2,000 trees arrived in early 1910 but were infested with insects and other pests. President William Howard Taft ordered them burned to protect native trees.

Tokyo shipped another 3,020 trees in 1912.

Cherry blossoms on a branch with a blurred blue sky background. — Visitors to Washington, D.C., hope to see Japanese cherry blossom trees at “peak bloom” each spring. Photo taken March 27, 2025.

Close-up of cherry blossoms and buds on a tree branch with a blurred background. — As spring unfolds, the National Park Service in Washington, D.C., issues regular updates on the Japanese cherry blossom tree buds’ progress. Photo taken March 27, 2025. (Photos by Madeline Bates/Cronkite News)

First lady Helen Herron Taft and the wife of the Japanese ambassador, Viscountess Chinda, planted the first two. The annual bloom has drawn throngs every spring since then. The festival started in 1935.

The petals survive for only about two weeks before they flutter away – sooner if the wind kicks up or Washington gets hit with a late frost.

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial with cherry blossoms and visitors in Washington, D.C. — Tourists take photos of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C., on March 27, 2025. (Photo by Madeline Bates/Cronkite News)

The Jefferson Memorial is bathed in sunlight on March 27, 2025, as tourists and local residents spread along the steps and under the dome. From the paddle boats, views of the cherry blossoms that line the Tidal Basin are unobstructed in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Madeline Bates/Cronkite News)
Cherry blossoms flank the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, a massive granite sculpture of the civil rights leader with arms crossed, in Washington, D.C. Photo taken March 27, 2025. (Photo by Madeline Bates/Cronkite News)
The Jefferson Memorial is framed under a low-hanging cherry blossom branch on March 27, 2025. Cherry blossom season in Washington, D.C., usually lasts for two weeks and can draw crowds of more than 1.5 million. (Photo by Madeline Bates/Cronkite News)