Read our guide to the 2019 Cherry Blossom Festival here.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The National Park Service announced cherry blossoms are expected to be in peak bloom March 14-17.
Cherry blossoms: the quintessential sign that spring has descended on the D.C. region, even if the temperatures don’t always agree. As the pink and white flowers emerge in Washington, Northern Virginians can embrace the traffic and crowds at the National Mall—or they can just take a peek in their own community. Several NoVA locations sport cherry blossoms; locals just need to know where to find them.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival, held March 20-April 16 in D.C., originates from the 1912 offering of 3,000 cherry trees from the mayor of Tokyo. Three years later, the U.S. returned the favor with a shipment of dogwood trees for Japan. The first festival took place in 1927 and now serves more than 1.5 million people, according to the festival website.
Northern Virginians hoping to avoid the congestion often associated with the events in D.C. can still enjoy the flowers at a number of NoVA neighborhoods and some regional parks.
Vienna’s Meadowlark Botanical Gardens houses more than 100 cherry trees, some of which were planted shortly after the gardens opened 30 years ago, says Meadowlark senior horticulturist Tammy Burke. “The gardens are just beautiful,” she says. “We have two lakes. Lake Caroline is where most of the cherry trees are, [and] the reflection on the water is so beautiful.”
Some of the younger trees at Meadowlark were planted near the Korean Bell Garden, established through a partnership between NoVA Parks and the Korean American Cultural Committee. The bell was crafted in South Korea—also home to flowering cherry trees—and is one of only two in the United States, Burke says. It is rung four times a year at the gardens, at the start of each season.
At Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, a handful of Japanese cultural events are planned this spring, including two National Cherry Blossom Festival events. Visitors can tour the center to view Asian brush paintings or learn the technique themselves at a class geared toward families. Wine connoisseurs can taste a variety of Japanese plum wines, and botany enthusiasts can attend a course in Japanese flower arranging. The park also hosts a few cherry trees near its entrance.
Cherry blossoms typically thrive for just one to three weeks due to the environmental demands of the flower. “What triggers the bloom for many of these cherries [is] a cold requirement: They need to experience so many hours of cold, starting from the fall through the winter,” says Mary Olien, Green Spring Gardens manager. She adds that when the temperatures begin to warm, the flowers are ready to bloom.
How soon temperatures climb can also impact the duration of the bloom. “If it’s a warmer spring in the beginning, then they’ll be a faster bloom,” says Burke. “If it stays cooler, then the blooms will last longer.”
For NoVA residents who don’t want to miss the precise moment the trees bloom in their area, there is an alternative: Purchase a tree at a nearby nursery and watch the blossoms arrive in your own backyard.
Where to Behold the Blossoms
Green Spring Gardens
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-4:30 p.m. Sunday; free // 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria
Asian Brush Painting Exhibit
Through April 16. Artist reception March 26, 1-3 p.m.; free
Family Fun
Asian Brush Painting, April 1, 10-11 a.m.; ages 5+; $8
Japanese Plum Wine Tasting
April 1, 4:30-6 p.m.; ages 21+; $38
Ikebana Flower Design Workshop
April 8, 10 a.m.-noon; ages 16+; $38 plus $25 for supplies
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily; entrance fees vary // 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court, Vienna
River Farm
Headquarters of the American Horticultural Society
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; Saturdays 9 a.m.-1 p.m. beginning in April; free // 7931 E. Boulevard Drive, Alexandria
