Cherry blossoms hit peak bloom in U.S. capital ahead of festival

March 18 (UPI) -- The National Park Service said Monday that the generations-old cherry blossom trees in Washington have now peaked and bloomed in what it called "a splendid spring spectacle."

"PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM! Did we say PEAK BLOOM?! The blossoms are opening and putting on a splendid spring spectacle," NPS said as it encouraged visitors to come visit and see the trees in their fresh splendor.

The peak bloom and bloom period is known as the day when 70% of the Yoshino Cherry blossoms open up and bloom to their full capacity, NPS said.

In February, it was reported that warmer weather had forced the Washington cherry blossoms to begin blooming -- which is "almost impossible" to predict over 10 days in advance -- earlier than expected and can bloom for over a period of several days with their length also dependent on weather-related conditions.

The trees were a gift to the United States from Japan in 1912 during the presidency of William Howard Taft. But their bloom time varies depending on weather conditions and have peaked as early as March 15 in 1990 during the George H.W. Bush presidency and as late as April 18 in 1958 under the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

On X, On Wednesday, the NPS said it is gearing up to remove 160 cherry trees of over nearly 300 in the nation's capital in preparation for a three-year, $113 million project slated to begin late Spring to fix a deteriorating seawall along the Potomac River.

In 2022, the cherry blossoms hit a peak bloom in Washington on March 21 about 10 days ahed of a 30-year average.

Over 450 new trees including 274 cherry trees will be replanted after the National Cherry Blossom Festival ends from March 20 to April 14.