UW cherry trees in Quad expected to reach peak bloom in April

SEATTLE — The University of Washington’s cherry blossoms are about to bloom.

The cold weather has slowed the bloom of the university’s iconic cherry trees, but the school’s growers say they are on track to peak in bloom in early April.

The peak flowering time was determined when 70% of the flowers appeared. Currently, the number of flowers blooming is less than 10%. They are expected to bloom 10% by March 20. The plants are usually in full bloom in the third week of March, so this year is just a few weeks later than usual.

29 cherry trees line the university campus and have attracted visitors from all over the region. In 2020 and 2021, the campus will have fewer flower visitors due to COVID-19 restrictions. To help visitors plan cherry blossom viewing trips, UW has created a page for cherry blossom viewing visitors.

The visitor page includes an interactive graphic that teaches the anatomy of cherry trees, from roots to petals, and how to distinguish them from plum trees.

The trees in the university’s Quad are Yoshino cherry trees and have been on campus since 1964. These trees were originally planted in 1939 at the Washington Park Arboretum but were moved due to construction.

Japan donated cherry trees to Seattle in the 1930s, but it’s hard to tell if any of the trees in UW are related to the donated trees. The 29 trees in the Quad are mostly original 1939 trees, which means they are over 80 years old. As of March 2022, only three cherry trees in zone four have been replaced with newer ones.

The beloved Quad cherry trees aren’t the only ones you can see around UW. The university has nearly 100 cherry trees on campus. Not all of them are Yoshino trees, the grounds are home to a variety of cherry trees, including Higan, Hisakura, Kwanzan, Mt. Fuji and Shirofugen. Different types of cherry trees vary in color, size and number of flowers.

To visit the trees when the Quad is less active, UW recommends visiting on weekdays or in the morning.

It is difficult to predict how long the 29 quad plants will bloom. Heavy rains and winds, plus warming temperatures, put the flowers at risk of falling off.