Cherry Blossom Festival begins as D.C. trees start their bloom cycle

The cherry trees are starting to bloom in the nation's capital. People come from all over to see the blossoms.

So, we're starting to see the first hints of white among the pink petals. The next stage is puffy white.

Mike Litterst, a spokesman for the National Park Service, knows cherry blossoms.

“There are six stages in the bloom cycle. The sixth stage is when the trees are considered to be in bloom. We just hit stage four yesterday,” he said.

Litterst says this year's peak bloom—stage 6—is still about a week away, a prediction based in science but with some experience and guesswork mixed in.

“Every year, the Park Service makes their prediction for when we expect peak bloom to occur, usually making that the last week of February. And according to the hotels and the airlines, that's when all the reservations start coming in,” he said.

A plaque commemorating the gift marks the location on the Tidal Basin where the first two of those trees were planted.

“And over the years, the number of trees has grown. Locations have grown. A festival started in 1937, and it's sort of grown over the last 113 years to really become, you know, DC's big, grand springtime tradition,” said Litterst.

The festival—the National Cherry Blossom Festival—is now officially underway and will feature things like kite flying at the Washington Monument and a parade down Constitution Avenue.

“But during peak bloom, there's a festival area on the Tidal Basin. Music, entertainment stage, food, Junior Ranger program for our younger visitors. So, lots to see and do here for the next, really, next four weekends,” Litterst said.