Flowering cherry trees burst into bloom, usually from mid-March through mid-April throughout the Pacific Northwest. Exactly when depends on the variety: early blooming versus late blooming.
Seattle cherry blossom season begins with (red/pink) buds that burst into (pink/white) flower. As the flowers fade, the trees display two-tone color as (green/red) leaves start to unfold. There are also flowering plum trees, which look very similar. Plum trees tend to bloom earlier than cherry trees.
Early and late blooming cherry blossom trees can be seen on many Seattle streets (along with flowering plum, red camellias and pink/white star and saucer magnolias) before and after the spectacular display on the University of Washington (UW) campus.
The cherry trees surrounding the UW “Quad” in Seattle are typically in peak bloom around the third week of March. During my years as an undergrad on the University of Washington campus, the peak flowering time on the Quad always seemed to come during spring break when we weren’t on campus. Sigh.
Cherry blossom trees burst into flower in early spring in parks and along streets throughout Seattle – DepositPhotos.com
2024 Cherry Blossom Season
As spring approaches, we keep an eye on cherry blossom trees and weather reports. When trees bud and start to flower, we update our calendar with expected peak bloom times.
Updated March 11, 2024. The cherry trees that line the Quad at the University of Washington in Seattle just beginning to bud. They are estimated to reach peak bloom after March 20 according to the UW campus arborist. Check the live webcams or social media pages (scroll down for links) before you head out.
Keep in mind that many cherry trees throughout the region bloom (1-2 weeks) earlier or later than the infamous UW Quad trees. And before the blossoms completely drop, green leaves start to sprout for a display of pink-and-green reminiscent of a 1950s bathroom that I find almost as lovely as the pink blossom display.
Scroll down for more information on where and when to enjoy this spring delight on campus and elsewhere around the Puget Sound region.
Cherry blossom trees at University of Washington Seattle campus
The University of Washington (UW) Seattle campus offers one of the most stunning displays of cherry blossoms in the entire country. (Yes, even that “other” Washington, which naturally gets more attention. That’s okay, we’re used to it.)
Cherry blossom trees on the UW Quad
The Quad is short for “Liberal Arts Quadrangle”. This area of campus is edged by several impressive gothic style buildings (Savery, Smith, Raitt, and Miller Halls) surrounding a grassy area, crisscrossed by brick and pebbled paths. The Quad is open to the public and is a short walk from many bus routes and the two Link light rail stations serving campus, at Husky Stadium and the U District Station.
The University of Washington “Quad” boasts 29 Japanese cherry trees surrounding the verdant plaza. For visitor information including public transportation and campus parking options, plus a campus map and tree safety information, check out Cherry blossoms at the UW (washington.edu).
Be gentle with the trees, some of them are more than 80 years old! Do not climb the trees, pick flowers, or shake their branches. As with any nature walk, “take only photos; leave only footprints”.
For the latest UW cherry tree bloom status, follow on Instagram @uwcherryblossom or X @uwcherryblossom (twitter.com)
To check the status of the UW Quad cherry blossoms, view the live webcam:
Other cherry blossom tree locations in Seattle
Here are some of the best parks and locations to see cherry blossoms in Seattle from about mid-March to mid-April.
(Listed roughly going north to south in Seattle)
Green Lake Park | seattle.gov, one of Seattle’s most beloved parks in the center of a dense urban neighborhood, serves as a natural preserve for hundreds of species of trees and plants, as well as numerous birds and waterfowl. The 2.8-mile path around the lake provides a perfect recreational spot for runners, bikers, skaters and walkers. Supplement your walk with the book Trees of Greenlake by Arthur Lee Jacobson (also available from the Seattle Public Library).
Washington Park Arboretum, Azalea Way near the Graham Visitors Center, 2300 Arboretum Drive E, Seattle, WA 98112. Withing the 230-acre park are flowering cherry trees along with barberry, camellia, halesia, maple, madrona, magnolia, rhododendron, and serviceberry. The visitor’s center is closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mount Baker Park | seattle.gov to Seward Park | seattle.gov features a lakeside paved walking path lined with cherry blossoms trees, plus water fowl, stunning views, and much more. These trees tend to bloom later than other areas, usually around the time the trees in the UW Quad begin to leaf out as their blossoms fall. So early- to mid-April tends to be the best guess. You can also do this as a driving tour along Lake Washington Blvd South.
Jefferson Park | seattle.gov, the sixth largest park in the city of Seattle, offers unparalleled views of the Duwamish River, the city and the Olympic Mountains. The Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival Committee donated 25 cherry trees to be planted at Jefferson Park. The Olmsted inspired path system flanked by trees offers a wonderful respite from city life along with many active opportunities. The park is the home to the Jefferson Park Golf Course, the Jefferson Community Center, Jefferson Lawn Bowling, Jefferson Skatepark, and the Beacon Mountain, an innovative natural play environment.
Find cherry blossom trees in your Seattle neighborhood
Where to find cherry and plum blossoms across Seattle (nathenry.com) from UW geographer Nat Henry includes over 12,000 flowering cherry trees across Seattle.
SDOT interactive map of trees across the city 0f Seattle by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT). To see cherry trees in your neighborhood:
- click on the link (above) to the SDOT interactive map
- click on the tab “Explore street trees” in the top navigation bar
- click on “trees by type”, the map displays colored dots representing street trees
- using the legend on the right, find blue dots, which are trees in the “Prunus” genus, both cherry and plum trees
Using the SDOT map, some of our favorite spots are:
- On Queen Ann Hill, beginning at 11 Ave W, head west on W Dravus St. Follow Dravus down and back up to the Magnolia neighborhood. Follow the arterial by turning onto 30th Ave W and then W Barret St to 34th.
- On Magnolia Hill, from W Barret St head south on 34th Ave W to W McGraw, turn left and then right onyo Condon Way W.
- In the Mount Baker neighborhood, from Colman Park, head south on 31st Ave S to McClellan St.
- In the Industrial area, Airport Way S from Forest to Spokane St.
- In Delridge, from Spokane St along the Duwamish Waterway from W Marginal Way SW to Highland Park Way SW/SW Michigan St.
Cherry blossom tree locations in Tacoma
Wapato Hills Park – Metro Parks Tacoma features a multi-sport playfield, basketball court, spray plaza, extensive playground, and picnic area dotted with numerous cherry trees. There are numerous short walking trails (download a map on their website), including a loop around the wetlands.
Other upcoming garden tours
(If nothing is listed below, there are no upcoming garden tours in our calendar. Theoretically, this shouldn’t happen. We update our calendar a few times a year for shows coming up each season.)
But wait, there’s more!
- Check our list of Home & Garden shows in the Puget Sound region.
- No garden shows? Then explore public gardens and garden tours.
- Bookmark our list of home gardening resources and plant sales.
- Here’s a list of 101+ always free things to do for fun.
- Find free and cheap things to do every day on the Greater Seattle on the Cheap event calendar.
- Visit the Greater Seattle on the Cheap home page and choose from a menu of free and cheap activities in the Puget Sound region.
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Cherry blossom trees along Lake Washington Blvd S photo by Carole Cancler
