DC cherry blossoms: Why are some trees around the Washington Monument already blooming?

If you think you saw cherry blossom trees blooming around the Washington Monument in D.C. – don’t worry! Your eyes are not deceiving you!

WASHINGTON - If you think you saw cherry blossom trees blooming around the Washington Monument in D.C. – don’t worry! Your eyes are not deceiving you!

What you are seeing are Autumn Flowering Cherry trees, also known by their botanical name, Prunus subhirtella var. autumnalis.

"This is a variety of cherry tree that blossoms in fall, or even winter, if you get some warm enough temperatures or if it doesn't get too cold," said National Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst. "We've got probably half a dozen or more trees on the grounds of the Washington Monument that are out in pretty much full bloom at this point."

Autumn Flowering Cherry Tree (National Park Service)

NPS says it’s completely normal for the tree’s pinkish white blossoms to open sporadically this time of year, and then fully flower the following spring. Only about three percent of the cherry trees in the park are of the Autumn Flowering Cherry variety.

The most common type of cherry trees in the nation’s capital are the Yoshino and Kwanzan varieties. Yoshino cherries produce many single white blossoms that create the effect of white clouds around the Tidal Basin, NPS says. Kwanzan cherry trees primarily grow in East Potomac Park and bloom two weeks later than the Yoshino.

Each spring, over a million visitors flock to the Tidal Basin and other parks in the District to see the cherry blossom trees. The peak bloom date, defined as the day when 70% of the Yoshino Cherry blossoms are open, typically occurs during the last week of March and the first week of April.