Where to see cherry blossoms blooming around Maryland

The snow is gone. We’ve turned our clocks forward an hour. And now we can start counting the days until cherry blossoms around the state are in peak bloom.

Officials at Fort McHenry in South Baltimore, which boasts two groves of Yoshino cherry trees, say peak bloom, when 70% of the blossoms are open, is expected April 3-5. An earlier bloom is possible, though.

“As this warm weather continues, we’re going to start seeing some blossoms probably this weekend,” Shannon McLucas, a spokesperson for Fort McHenry, said.

By Thursday, cherry trees at Fort McHenry had blossomed into the fourth of six stages: peduncle elongation, meaning the florets’ stocks were growing longer, National Park Service officials said. Though visitors are welcome at any point during operational hours, Fort McHenry is planning to host a Baltimore Blossoms event April 4.

Two new things to look for, McLucas said, are the “Blossom Defender Junior Ranger” book for people to learn about cherry trees, those who planted the groves at Fort McHenry and how to care for them; and tabling from its partners, including Carrie Murray Nature Center, Hampton National Historic Site and the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House.

Fort McHenry’s 152 cherry trees were planted in 1931 by about 1,500 Baltimore City Public Schools students to mark the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth, according to the fort’s website. Due to segregationist policies then, African American students planted the trees that make up East Cherry Blossom Grove, while white students planted those that make up West Cherry Blossom Grove.

For people interested in watching Fort McHenry go pink, officials warn parking is limited and the park closes at 5 p.m.

Fort McHenry isn’t the only place Baltimoreans can see clusters of cherry trees in bloom. Data from Baltimore City Recreation and Parks shows Harlem Park in West Baltimore has the most cherry trees owned by the city: 20. Cross Country, Druid Heights and Hampden also have several of the storied trees, city data shows.

Those in Southeast and Southwest Baltimore can see the pink blossoms in Bayview, Belair-Edison, Brewers Hill and Westport. Frankford and Homeland are the go-to cherry tree locations farther north in Baltimore, according to city data.

Residents of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties can see the blooming blossoms in Brookside Gardens, Glenview Mansion, Green Park, the Kenwood neighborhood and National Harbor.

Centennial Park and Lake Kittamaqundi in Howard County and Quiet Waters Park in Anne Arundel County also offer a bevy of trees for cherry blossom lovers to revel in.

Taking in the cherry blossoms has been a tradition in Washington since Japan gifted 3,000 cherry trees to the people of the United States in 1912, the National Park Service said in a news release. Officials predict the cherry trees surrounding the Tidal Basin and National Mall will reach peak bloom from Sunday to Wednesday.

Washingtonians got to see them a tad early, with cherry trees there reaching peak bloom on Thursday.

The park service completed work on the Tidal Basin seawall in December, giving it a deeper foundation, a widened walkway and a design that is more resilient to rising sea levels and storms.

“The project addressed decades of sinking ground, frequent tidal flooding and aging infrastructure along the south side of the Tidal Basin,” the park service said.

Construction forced the park service to remove 306 trees, but officials intend to plant 426 more around the Tidal Basin and along the Potomac River — 296 of which will be cherry trees.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival began in Washington on March 20 and lasts until April 12.