SEATTLE — Spring has sprung in western Washington. Days are getting longer, temperatures are getting warmer, and the iconic cherry blossoms in the Quad at the University of Washington are beginning to bloom.
There are 29 Japanese cherry trees in the Quad and around 100 total on campus, according to UW Urban Forest Specialist Sara Shores.
The annual bloom brings thousands of visitors with picnic baskets and cameras to the Quad each year to enjoy the picturesque show of rosy pink blossoms.
When is the best time to visit?
The iconic trees usually reach peak bloom – which is when at least 70% of the blossoms have emerged – around the third week of March. Favorable temperatures and the amount of daylight are two of the most important factors that determine when the trees will bloom.
Shores said the trees were around 10% bloom on March 16 and expected to hit peak bloom in the next week or so.
“We're thinking next weekend is gonna be the big show,” Shores said Wednesday. “I think we're very close to full bloom. It's gonna be colder weather, so we might not quite be at full bloom, but I think next weekend and the weekend after there will be some good blooms.”
What should I know before visiting?
Masks are not required on campus, but the UW is asking the public to be respectful if any visitors decide to wear one.
While the beautiful blossoms make for a great Instagram-worthy photo, visitors should take note of the signs posted around the Quad asking everyone not to climb on the trees.
“We're asking people not to climb the trees or shake the branches to make the petals fall,” said Shores. “We want to keep the blooms as long as possible for everybody to enjoy.”
So where did the trees come from?
According to UW, the Yoshino cherry trees were purchased in 1939 and planted in the Washington Park Arboretum. They were later replanted in the Quad in 1962 due to construction on State Route 520 near the arboretum.
Shores said Japan donated many cherry trees to the city of Seattle in the 1930s and some ended up in Seward and Volunteer parks, along with other areas around the city. While some of the trees on campus may be scions from the trees gifted from Japan, Shores said, “we’re not exactly sure because we don’t have evidence of that.”
Not all of the trees are original, either. Shores said around five of the original 30 trees have been replaced, including three that are currently in the Quad. The replaced trees in the Quad are younger and are smaller in diameter compared to the others, which makes them easy to pick out.
When one of the cherry trees needs to be replaced, Shores said university crews try to replant the new tree as close as possible to where the other tree was located “to keep the symmetry.”
“[The Quad] was designed. When they brought these trees in here, they had a design with symmetry in mind,” said Shores. “We’ve been lucky that we haven’t had to replace trees in a while, and we’re thinking of a plan for the future to hopefully replace trees as these trees fail, so we always have a huge canopy of cherry trees.”
Some of the cherry trees on campus are also clones from the trees in the Quad.
“We do have clones of these trees spaced out around campus,” explained Shores. “So, the law school has some of the clones from these trees. There's one at the [Waterfront Activities Center], and a couple other places on campus have clones.”
Has there ever been a year the trees didn’t bloom?
This is the 61st year the iconic cherry trees have bloomed in the UW Quad. Shores said there has never been a year the trees, which are around 90 years old, did not bloom.
However, temperatures can impact the blooms and how long they stay on the trees.
“I would say the most dangerous time of year [for the trees] is right before the bloom, right as they’re starting to open up,” explained Shores. “I’ve heard that if you get a hard enough frost, that can stop the bloom, but so far that hasn’t happened, and it’s never really too hot this time of year, yet, to hurt these blooms.”
While the trees have never not bloomed in the Quad, Shores said it is possible hotter temperatures due to climate change could impact the trees and the timing of the blooms in the future.
“I think that, as the temperatures rise, these trees are going to struggle more with drought stress and heat stress,” explained Shores. “We’re seeing that with other species, even native species around Seattle. So, it is possible it will be detrimental to their health, which could impact the bloom.”
Can’t make it to campus to see the bloom? You have options
If you can’t make it to the Quad to see the cherry blossoms in peak bloom this year, don’t fret. The UW has a live webcam overlooking the Quad for people to peep at the blossoms in bloom.
A virtual tour with photos from campus is also available, along with tweets from a “UW Cherry Blossoms” account on Twitter.
But UW isn’t the only place you can find cherry blossoms. According to UW, there are dozens of places around the Seattle area with blooms visible from February to May, depending on the species. The colors of the petals range from white to a light rose or a dark pink color.
The Seattle Department of Transportation has an interactive map of trees across the city. To find cherry trees in your neighborhood, click "Explore street trees" in the top navigation bar, then click on "trees by type" and look for trees with the "Prunus" genus, which can be cherry or plum trees.
Unlike plum trees, cherry trees have distinct horizontal-line patterns on their bark called lenticels, which help the trees "exhale" or release carbon dioxide and water. Plum trees, on the other hand, bloom earlier than most cherries and don't have lenticels on their bark.