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Top reader photos of D.C.'s cherry blossoms and the beloved tree Stumpy

Washington, D.C.'s cherry trees, which reached peak bloom very early this year, are stunning.

By Ian Livingston | 2024-03-21

Sunrise at the Tidal Basin on Sunday amid cherry blossom peak bloom. (Rob Fountain/Facebook)

Washington's world-renowned cherry blossoms reached peak bloom Sunday, one of the earliest dates on record. Since then, the scenes have been stunning.

With thousands of visitors lining the Tidal Basin each day, the cherry trees are among the most photographed in the world. The sheer number of eyes also promises a plethora of fantastic angles and perspectives.

Capital Weather Gang readers have been documenting this year's bloom, sharing scores of photos with us each day on Facebook, X and Flickr.

Blossoms near peak on Saturday. (Megan Perry/Facebook)

Sunrise Saturday. (Mark Alan Andre/Flickr)

Sunrise Saturday. (Geoff Livingston/Flickr)

We're sharing a selection of our favorites.

Among the hundreds of photos we've received, choosing which to show here was a challenge. But we're very grateful for all of the submissions.

Cherry blossoms near peak around the U.S. Capitol. (Jessica Stults Queener/Facebook)

Sunrise Monday. (Sue Cromer/Flickr)

Cherry blossoms close up. (Erin Freedman/Facebook)

If you have not yet visited the blossoms this year, there is time left.

Although gusty winds Wednesday into Thursday may strip some of the flower petals, a continuation of this cool weather pattern should help the blossoms remain in full bloom at least into the weekend as the National Cherry Blossom Festival gets underway. A Saturday rainstorm, however, may mark the beginning of the end of this year's bloom.

A glowing morning under the cherry blossoms. (Brian Paeth/Flickr)

A pink sunrise accenting pink blossoms. (Jeannie in D.C./Flickr)

If you can't make it to the Tidal Basin this year, there are plenty of other places around the Washington region to see cherry blossoms.

Beyond the cherry blossoms, spring is still young and many more trees and plants have yet to flower -- the Yoshino cherries are among the first to bloom. It's hard to surpass the beauty of springtime in Washington.

We'd be remiss if we'd didn't dedicate a section of this photo roundup to the celebrated cherry tree nicknamed Stumpy.

The resilient stump-shaped tree has been showered with attention as its time on the Tidal Basin comes to a close because of looming sea wall repairs.

Stumpy earns our prize for "most photographed" and "best in show" for the 2024 bloom.

Here's a selection of Stumpy photos:

Stumpy over the weekend. (Leah Malbon Davenport/Facebook)

Stumpy on Tuesday morning. (Thomas Cluderay/Flickr)

Stumpy after sunset on Tuesday. (Phil Yabut/X)


This article was downloaded by calibre from https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/03/20/washington-dc-cherry-blossom-photos/


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