v. Autumnalis

All around the DC Metro area, there have been cherry blossom sightings for the past couple weeks. Which, to a region in love with our Spring Cherry Blossom Festival, this was a troubling sign. Doubly so to gardeners who know what cold does to plants that start early, only to get hit by a late cold snap. Very troubling.

Fortunately, the National Park Service took the time to explain. The cherry trees that we're seeing blossoms on are a variety called prunus subhirtell var. autumnalis. This is not the Yoshino cherry trees lining the Tidal Basin which attract so many visitors. Autumnalis is a species that always begins to bloom before the others. In fact, according to the NPS website "[d]uring warm periods in the fall and early winter, they will open sporadically and then fully flow the following spring."

Further more, the National Park Service goes on to state that National Capital Region Chief Horticulturist is checking on the cherry trees at the Tidal Basin daily. And he reports that no cherry blossom buds are in any of the five stages of bud development. Whew. I was worried there for awhile.

But then again, the snowfall forecast keeps inching up the totals. As of this morning 4-7". Ugh.