WASHINGTON – The famous Washington, D.C., cherry blossoms have entered the fifth stage of the blooming process, one step closer to peak bloom. The cherry blossoms are set to peak this weekend, March 28-31, turning Washington into a lively pink wonderland. In the fifth stage, the second-to-last stage, the blossoms begin to puff up before fully opening. The National Mall shared a photo on X on Sunday showing a closeup of the blossoms in their fifth stage. Last Thursday, the blossoms hit stage four of bloom, otherwise known as peduncle elongation.Mike Litterst, from the National Park Service (NPS), joined FOX 5 DC to talk about peduncle elongation.”A peduncle is an extension of a branch on a tree, and elongation means it’s growing,” Litterst said. Now that the blooms are in stage five, the only thing left is peak bloom. Video from Monday morning showed some of the pink trees on the White House lawn. According to the NPS, once the blooms are 70% open, peak bloom begins. Peak bloom typically lasts for several days, giving visitors the chance to come and see the blossoms before the petals drop off the trees.
