National Park Service: Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom Dates 'Unchanged'

The peak bloom dates for the cherry blossoms ringing the Tidal Basin on the National Mall are unchanged and still hold for next week — Tuesday, March 26 through Saturday, March 30, a National Park Service spokeswoman told Patch Tuesday morning.

One of the best way to see the blooms? A Tidal Basin paddle boat. Visitors may make advance paddleboat reservations during the festival, March 20-April 14. Boats may be reserved from 10 a.m. to noon, on the hour. Pre-registration guarantees boat availability. The boats will be available until 6 p.m. for walk-up business, with the last boats going out at 5 p.m.

The iconic blooms, which the nation is celebrating this year for the 101st season, originated in 1912 as a gift of friendship to the People of the United States from the People of Japan.

In Japan, the flowering cherry tree, or "Sakura," is an exalted flowering plant. The beauty of the cherry blossom is a potent symbol equated with the evanescence of human life and epitomizes the transformation of Japanese culture throughout the ages, according to a news release from the National Park Service.

The plantings of cherry trees originated in 1912 as a gift of friendship to the People of the United States from the People of Japan, the news release notes. In Japan, the flowering cherry tree, or "Sakura," is an exalted flowering plant. The beauty of the cherry blossom is a potent symbol equated with the evanescence of human life and epitomizes the transformation of Japanese culture throughout the ages.

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