Cherry Blossom Update - Cold Temperatures Causing Damage to Advanced Stage Blossoms - National Mall and Memorial Parks (U.S. National Park Service) (2024)

FAQs

Are cherry blossoms affected by climate change? ›

Because climate change is warming up most of the planet, this is affecting the timing of the bloom date for cherry blossoms. In Washington D.C., cherry blossoms on average have been blooming about a week earlier than 100 years ago – and this year was even earlier than that.

The 2024 National Cherry Blossom Festival is scheduled to run from March 20 to April 14. (Interestingly, that's the same start date as originally planned last year before they moved that forward by a couple of days in light of 2023's early bloom.)

Cherry blossoms have the potential to last two weeks but are at the mercy of the weather. Hot weather, freezing temperatures, strong winds and heavy rain make the flower petals fall off faster and shorten the bloom period.

Does frost kill cherry blossoms? Temperatures that drop below freezing can cause significant damage to fruit blossoms. However, when the buds are in an early stage of development they are more cold hardy than in later stages, and the air temperature must be far below freezing to cause damage.

Cherry blossoms start to sustain damage when temperatures hit 27 degrees; at 24 degrees, up to 90% of exposed blossoms can be affected.

Cherry trees can take a brief hit at -34 °C (-30 °F), but sustained cold during blooming at 0 to -3 °C (32-27 °F) can devastate up to 90% of flowers.

When this happens, new growth is shocked by the sudden freeze and could be damaged. Flower buds are especially vulnerable. If they're hit by cold temperatures after flowering, they may not be able to bloom again later in the year because they've already exerted their energy. Leaf buds are more likely to bounce back.

Once budding cherry blossoms are exposed to temperatures below 27 degrees for a half-hour, 10 percent can be damaged. Sustained colder weather over multiple days can leave 90 percent of those blossoms so damaged that they will not bloom.

The tradition of celebrating the blooming of cherry trees in Japan is centuries old. The planting of cherry trees in Washington DC originated in 1912 as a gift of friendship to the People of the United States from the People of Japan.

How long will the cherry blossoms last in DC? ›

The blooming period starts several days before the Peak Bloom Date, and can last as long as 14 days; however, frost, high temperatures, wind and/or rain can shorten this period.

On average, the peak bloom occurs sometime around the last week or so of March through the first week or so of April.

Flowering cherry trees are relatively low maintenance, but they are susceptible to pests and diseases that can damage or kill the trees. It's these potentially harmful garden visitors that you should watch for. Common pests like aphids, spider mites, caterpillars, Japanese beetles, and borers can cause problems.

Don't leave your mat unattended once you settle down, or it will be taken away by park keepers. Keep in mind that the beautiful cherry trees are delicate. Don't sit on the roots or hang anything on any part of the tree. And never touch the petals nor shake the branches.

Typically, they are caused by nonliving factors or abiotic problems which can include: drought, excessive rainfall, weather extremes, low sunlight, compacted soil; planting too deeply; applying too much mulch; and/or root damage from cultivation around the root system.

Climate change alters the phenology of various plants. For example, increasing temperatures shift the first flowering and full blossom days of Yoshino cherry trees and affect cultural events related to cherry blossoms.

But climate change is altering spring growing conditions, and plant life is changing along with it. There are many examples of plants shifting flowering time in response to warming temperatures, such as cherry blossoms opening earlier and earlier each year.

The flowering time of cherry trees is thought to be affected by global warming and the heat island effect of urbanization.

It comes down to climate change. Cherry trees require a month of winter temperatures below 41 degrees Fahrenheit to fully bloom. As the climate has warmed in Japan, the timing of the blossoming has altered. As Bloomberg reported, between 1961 and 1990, cherry trees starting blooming in Tokyo around March 29.