Cherry Blossom Forecast Tree

Southwestern View of cherry blossom indicator tree for National Mall and Memorial Parks. The cherry blossom indicator tree is used to forecast peak blossoms around the Tidal Basin.

When the cherry blossom indicator tree is in full bloom there is high probability that the cherry trees around the Tidal Basin, Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial, Martin Luther King Memorial, and Japanese Shrine will be in peak bloom with 7 to 14 days.

Many people think think the tree is of Yoshino cherry (Prunus × yedoensis) variety. Actually no one knows for sure. The National Park Service does know that it is not a Kwanzan Cherry, Akebono Cherry, Takesimensis Cherry, Usuzumi Cherry, Weeping Japanese Cherry, Sargent Cherry, Autumn Flowering Cherry, Fugenzo Cherry, Afterglow Cherry, Shirofugen Cherry or Okame Cherry.