Blooming early: UW cherry trees will be most vibrant second week of March
Feb 28, 2015, 7:21 AM | Updated: 7:22 am
The 31 cherry trees lining the University of Washington's quad will bloom early this year. (MyNorthwest file photo)
(MyNorthwest file photo)
There will be an early bloom in the University of Washington quad this year.
Warm winter could mean early blooms
The famous Yoshino cherry trees are expected to be in full bloom by March 9, according to UW botanist Clarence Geyen.
“You’ll start to see them next week,” Geyen said.
The bloom will be about two weeks earlier than normal; the bloom was earlier last year, too. The warm winter weather is the culprit, Geyen said.
The blossoms will be vibrant for about three weeks.
There are 31 of the trees lining the quad on the university’s campus. They’re transplants from the Washington Park Arboretum.
The aging trees were planted in the 1950s, Geyen said.
For the last 15 years, cuttings from the trees have been growing in a nursery in Mount Vernon. The trees will be replaced as needed as a safety precaution, one at a time, Geyen said.
“Hopefully, [they will be replaced] well after I retire,” he quipped.
You can follow the cherry blossoms on Twitter @uwcherryblossom.
