Climate Change Is Causing Cherry Blossoms to Bloom Earlier

‘Peak bloom’ for cherry blossoms is declared when 70% of the flowers are open. In Washington DC, peak bloom occurred on 23 March this year, 2 weeks earlier than the historical average. These iconic flowers had festooned DC every spring since 1912 when Japan gifted 3,000 cherry trees to the US. Today's average peak bloom date is 7 days earlier than in 1921 when records began. It’s a similar story on the other side of the world. Cherry blossoms in Tokyo appeared 10 days earlier than normal this year. This matches the previous record for early blooming in Japan. Early blooming isn’t a threat to the cherry blossom trees or their blossoms, but it’s a visible sign that the impacts of climate change are increasing. Watch to learn more about the impact of climate change on how and when cherry blossoms bloom.