Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 16, 2025
The cherry buds are far more defined now, and the NPS judged that they have reached stage 2 (of 6). And the saucer magnolias are coming along nicely.
You can find more photos from this morning in the update on the website.
The cherry tree buds are far more defined now. The National Park Service determined that at least 70 percent of the trees had reached the florets visible stage as of today. That’s the second of the six stages that the NPS tracks in the leadup to the bloom.
As usual, not all the trees are on exactly the same schedule. The photos I’ve included below are pretty representative of where most of the trees are now, but it’s also possible to find some that are a little ahead and some that are a little behind.
March has been significantly warmer than normal so far, and that trend seems likely to continue over the coming week.
At the Tidal Basin this Morning
It’s warm, but it’s also blustery. Rain and perhaps thunderstorms are expected later.
The paddle boats at the Tidal Basin are open for the season, and there were a few brave boaters out this morning braving the wind. For now and running through the cherry blossom bloom, they’re not taking advance reservations—it’s walk-up only. They’ll resume reservations in mid-April. I have more information on them here.
At the Enid A. Haupt Garden this Morning
The saucer magnolias are also coming along nicely. While their flowers aren’t open yet, they’re not far away now. They’re looking promising for later this coming week into next weekend.
I’ve just posted a separate update on those, with some more photos from this morning taken at the Enid A. Haupt Garden.
Visiting from out of town?
If you’re coming in from out of town to see the cherry blossoms, I’ve put together some resources that I hope you find useful.
And there’s plenty else to see while you’re here, so I’ll feature some of those things from my ExploreDC site here to give some inspiration and a sense of what to expect.
Where to Stay. Some local recommendations.
How Long Do the Cherry Blossoms Last? And some fallbacks if you miss them.