Early flowering won't impact peak cherry blossom bloom, park service says

WASHINGTON - It may be January, but thanks to unseasonably warm weather, some cherry trees on the National Mall are already flowering. So, could that spell trouble for cherry blossom lovers given that we’re still months away from peak bloom?

Not according to the National Park Service.

Spokesperson Brian Hall said the trees that are already flowering are called Higan cherry trees. They’re one of 11 different kinds located on the Mall, all from Japan.

But they aren’t the showstoppers that attract thousands of people every spring. Those are called Yoshino cherry trees, and Hall said that according to National Park Service arborists, the Yoshinos are still looking good.

“That makes me feel better because I am excited to see that whenever it’s time,” student Natalie Fahsen said Tuesday.

For the record, the Higans are still in good shape too. Hall said they’d go dormant again just as soon as the expected cold snap arrives at the end of the week.