The University of Washington Quad's iconic cherry trees typically attract throngs of photographers and flower lovers when they reach full bloom.
Western Washington’s rainy, cold weeks of late winter have set flower fields on a later bloom schedule in the Skagit Valley, and likewise the famous Japanese cherry trees in the University of Washington quadrangle are running later than in recent years.
A March 7 blog posting on the UW Today website predicted March 26 as the likely full-bloom date for the Quad’s cherry trees, based on an estimate by UW arborist Sara Shores. She credited the cooler temperatures of February and early March for stalling the bloom this year compared with the past two years.
The Quad’s iconic cherry trees, more than 80 years old and considered in good health for their age, typically attract throngs of photographers and flower lovers when they reach full bloom.
Last year the trees reached full bloom by March 11. This year’s predicted bloom date is still within what’s considered normal, according to Shores.