According to the National Park Service at the National Mall, famous cherry blossoms around the nation’s capital have hit peak bloom conditions. The National Park Service X account for the National Mall proclaimed this morning, “PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM!”

It became apparent yesterday that the bloom would be at peak today. “Despite a sunny afternoon and patches of blue sky, the cherry blossoms remain at Stage 5: Puffy White,” the Park Service wrote on X yesterday.  Stage 5, “Puffy White”, is the final stage blossoms go through before being in full bloom. They start at Stage 1 as a “Green Bud”, grow into Stage 2 with “Florets Visible”, and then florets become extended at Stage 3. In Stage 4, there is “Peduncle Elongation” which sets the stage for the puffy blossoms to appear in Stage 5. Puffy White and Peak Bloom are defined as when 70% of the blossoms on the trees reach that stage.

Peak bloom varies annually depending on weather conditions; the most likely time to reach peak bloom is between the last week of March and the first week of April. According to the Park Service, extraordinary warm or cool temperatures have resulted in peak bloom as early as March 15 in 1990 and as late as April 18 in 1958.

The planting of cherry trees in Washington DC originated in 1912 as a gift of friendship to the People of the United States from the People of Japan. In Japan, the flowering cherry tree, or “Sakura,” is an important flowering plant. The beauty of the cherry blossom is a symbol with rich meaning in Japanese culture.

Dr. David Fairchild, plant explorer and U.S. Department of Agriculture official, imported seventy-five flowering cherry trees and twenty-five single-flowered weeping types from the Yokohama Nursery Company in Japan. After experimenting with growing them on his own property in Maryland, he deemed that the cherry tree would be perfect to plant around the Washington DC area. This triggered an interest by a variety of individuals to plant the tree around Washington.  In 1909 the Mayor of Tokyo, Yukio Ozaki, donated 2,000 trees to the United States on behalf of his city. When the trees arrived, they were riddled with disease and insects and to protect other agriculture, they were burned. The Tokyo Mayor made a second donation of trees in 1910, this time amounting to 3,020 trees.  This started the forest of cherry trees that now line the Potomac basin around Washington DC. In a gesture of gratitude back to Japan, President Taft sent a gift in 1915 of flowering dogwood trees to the people of Japan.   Thousands of trees have been added since, including another gift of 3,800 trees from Japan in 1965.

WASHINGTON – Community members gathered on Tuesday night to review redevelopment plans for the RFK Stadium site and offer feedback as the Washington Commanders prepare for a return to the District.

The steel structure of the old stadium has now been removed, and officials say comments on the project’s environmental impact statement are due at the end of April. The final master plan is taking shape with input from residents.

Community gathers for RFK stadium site open house meeting as Commanders prepare for DC return

FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick said a strong crowd gathered in D.C. Tuesday to speak with developers and city planners. The RFK site is divided into six districts, including the Plaza District, Riverfront District and Stadium District, each with proposed features for residents to evaluate. Members of the community viewed design concepts, asked questions and used green and red stickers to mark what they supported or opposed.

In the Kingman Park District, a primarily residential area, residents raised concerns about preserving green space and the placement of parking garages.

Groundbreaking for the Plaza District is scheduled for 2029, with the stadium targeted to open in 2030. The Commanders are investing $2.7 billion in the project, the largest private investment in city history, with another $1 billion coming from D.C. taxpayers.

City leaders say the redevelopment could create up to 6,500 housing units, 30,000 construction jobs, 2,000 permanent jobs and generate an estimated $5.1 billion in tax revenue.

Community gathers for RFK stadium site open house meeting as Commanders prepare for DC return

Another community meeting is set for Saturday at St. Coletta Church, with a site walk planned in April.  More online.

St. Coletta Meeting Details

• When: Saturday, March 28, 10 am to 12 pm 
• Where: St. Coletta of Greater Washington, 1901 Independence Avenue SE (Closest Metro: Stadium-Armory) 

Online Survey

For those unable to attend an in-person event, the District will offer an online survey where residents can provide feedback on the master plan. The survey will request input on topics similar to those discussed at the events. The Office of Planning will combine this feedback with comments received at the in-person events, via email, and at the community visioning meetings that were held from October 2025 through February 2026.

• The survey link will be available from March 30-April 10 at OurRFK.dc.gov.

Community Site Walk

On Saturday, April 18, neighbors of the RFK Stadium campus are invited to join a walking tour led by staff from the Office of Planning. The walk will include visits to areas that are important to the redevelopment and stopping points for discussion. This interactive outdoor workshop will allow stakeholders to step into the shoes of a planner and share their ideas for the site’s future. 

• When: Saturday, April 18, 10 am 
• Where: Stadium-Armory Metro Station, 192 19th Street SE 
• RSVP: A registration link will be available soon at OurRFK.dc.gov.