It’s almost peak cherry blossom season. Here’s where you can view, photograph them in Olympia
The cherry blossom is a tree synonymous with Japanese culture and springtime, but the vibrant pink bloom has planted its roots in Washington state for over a century.
Cherry blossoms first landed on American soil in 1912 as a gift from the people of Japan to the United States, according to Metro Parks Tacoma. Although the trees were intended to be primarily planted in Washington, D.C., they arrived from Japan in Seattle, and Puget Sound quickly adopted the cherry blossom as their own.
But the window to see the trees in full bloom is brief. Cherry blossoms typically reveal their vibrant pink hue in March and only last a few weeks before fading away. Due to colder-than-average temperatures, the peak bloom is expected in early April this year, according to the University of Washington.
The Quad at the University of Washington is one of the Evergreen State’s most famous spots for viewing cherry blossoms. The university has a dedicated Twitter account documenting its cherry blossom season and a live cam view of its campus trees.
But for Olympia residents who don’t want to drive to Seattle, the Washington State capitol building and campus feature several cherry blossom trees and an abundance of other beautiful fauna. Plenty of parks and residential streets in Pierce County are also adorned with the exotic trees.
Capitol building blossoms
The Capitol’s campus has had cherry trees since the 1930s, according to its website. Today, residents can stroll through the campus and view two varieties of cherry blossom trees. An online interactive map also displays the locations of the campus’ dozens of trees.
The first is the Kwanzan Flowering Cherry tree native to Korea, China and Japan. Two rows of this brightly colored species of Cherry trees stand along Cherry Lane, the street just east of the Temple of Justice and the State Capitol building. Its flowers are cotton-candy pink and produce large cherry leaves.
Olympia’s other variety of cherry tree is the Yoshino Flowering Cherry, located in a grove southeast of the Capitol building. This tree species is one of the first trees at the Capitol to bloom in spring. The tree’s flowers have a pale-pink hue.
Cherry blossoms in Pierce County
Although Thurston County doesn’t have many choices outside the Capitol building campus for spotting cherry blossoms, a short drive up Interstate 5 to Tacoma will give you plenty more options.
Pierce County has multiple parks and roadways that showcase cherry blossom trees. You can find eight of those locations in the interactive map below.
Know of other places around Pierce County to view cherry blossoms? Email Sgoodwin@idahostatesman.com, and we’ll add it to our list.
