Washington, D.C. is famous for its cherry blossom trees. These beablooms put on a spectacular show every spring, attracting on average around 1.5 million people each spring.
Did you know that the cherry blossom trees were first planted in the U.S. capital in 1912 as a gift from Tokyo’s mayor, Yukio Ozaki ? Ever since, the American capital city has hosted every spring its own National Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs from March 20 – April 17, 2022. The festival honors American and Japanese cultures and the close friendship between the 2 countries. You can help in the effort to preserve and protect the District’s iconic cherry trees through the Trust for the National Mall’s Endow a Cherry Tree campaign.
Best Place to See the Cherry Blossoms in the District
The most popular places in Washington D. C. to see the cherry blossoms are the Tidal Basin and the National Mall. The incredible views of almost 4,000 trees with the city’s most iconic landmarks is a must see. Though it can get really crowded, especially the East side of the Tidal Basin, between the National Mall and the Jefferson Memorial. The best time to avoid the crowds is early in the morning, (also the light is magical in the morning, if you wanna take the best pictures for your Instagram).
There are many other less known areas throughout D.C. worth visiting, such as the National Arboretum, East & West Potomac Park, (especially the Hains Point Loop Trail in East Potomac Park),, The Japanese Lantern, The Gardens of Dumbarton Oaks, The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and Kenwood Maryland. Or you can just walk around the beautiful D.C. neighborhoods, and you’ll see blossoms everywhere.
For those who prefer to view the blossoms from home, the virtual Tidal Basin tour features a Bloom Cam. Normally the peak blossoming happens in early April. But this year was almost a week earlier than the average over the last 100 years, (due to the rising temperatures).
All images in this article are shot by DC based photographer Nano Betts. Follow her on Instagram at @travelswithnano