Good news for those who love spring, and cherry blossom season! According to the University of Washington, the cherry trees in the UW Quad have entered “peak bloom” stage.
As of the morning of March 19, the University shared that the trees are at approximately 70% bloom!
“If the weather stays cool, with little wind or rain, the bloom should last about two weeks,” said Autumn Maust, a UW doctoral student in environmental and forest sciences.
Earlier this week, UW had said that due to unseasonably warm weather, approximately 50-60% of the buds on the Quad cherry trees were in bloom. At the time, they expected peak bloom to begin by March 19th at the latest – and they were on point.
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UW arborist Sara Shores predicts that for “the 29 iconic Yoshino cherry trees in the UW Quad, peak bloom will likely begin after March 20.”
Generally, peak bloom in the Quad starts around the third full week of March, and into the fourth.
“Right now, I would guess that the last two weekends of March are ideal viewing conditions,” said Shores.
According to the University, “The Quad’s signature Yoshino cherry trees are nearly 90 years old and were originally set in a grove at the Washington Park Arboretum. In late 1964, the University transplanted the trees to their current spot, bringing thousands of visitors to campus each spring to witness their rosy bloom.”
The timing is great as the third annual U District Cherry Blossom Festival kicked off on March 16th.
“As the cherry blossoms start to bloom all of Seattle comes alive—and nowhere more than the U District,” states the event. “In honor of the historic cherry blossom viewing on the University of Washington Quad, over 80 U District business have come together to present a special menu featuring a variety of cherry and blossom-themed food, drink, and retail specials!”
To get to the blossoms, or if you want to check out the live webcam, head to UW’s Cherry Blossoms page.
And happy spring!
