Where and when to see cherry blossom trees - Greater Seattle on the Cheap

Flowering cherry trees burst into bloom, usually from mid-March through mid-April throughout the Pacific Northwest. Exactly when depends on the variety: early blooming versus late blooming.

Seattle cherry blossom season begins with (red/pink) buds that burst into (pink/white) flower. As the flowers fade, the trees display two-tone color as (green/red) leaves start to unfold. There are also flowering plum trees, which look very similar. Plum trees tend to bloom earlier than cherry trees.

Early and late blooming cherry blossom trees can be seen on many Seattle streets (along with flowering plum, red camellias and pink/white star and saucer magnolias) before and after the spectacular display on the University of Washington (UW) campus.

The cherry trees surrounding the UW “Quad” in Seattle are typically in peak bloom around the third week of March. During my years as an undergrad on the University of Washington campus, the peak flowering time on the Quad always seemed to come during spring break when we weren’t on campus. Sigh.

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Cherry blossom trees burst into flower in early spring in parks and along streets throughout Seattle – DepositPhotos.com

2023 Cherry Blossom Season

As spring approaches, we keep an eye on cherry blossom trees and weather reports. When trees bud and start to flower, we update our calendar with expected peak bloom times.

Updated March 23, 2023. The UW Seattle cherry blossom trees are estimated to reach peak bloom in early April. Check the live webcams or social media pages before you head out (scroll down for links).

Keep in mind that many cherry trees throughout the region will bloom (1-2 weeks) earlier or later than the infamous UW trees. Scroll down for more information on where and when to enjoy this spring delight on campus and elsewhere.

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Cherry blossom trees at University of Washington Seattle campus

The University of Washington (UW) Seattle campus offers one of the most stunning displays of cherry blossoms in the entire country. (Yes, even that “other” Washington, which naturally gets more attention. That’s okay, we’re used to it.) Be gentle with the trees, some of them are more than 80 years old! Do not climb the trees, pick flowers, or shake their branches. As with any nature walk, “take only photos; leave only footprints”.

Cherry blossom trees on the UW Quad

The University of Washington “Quad” boasts 29 Japanese cherry trees surrounding the verdant plaza. The Quad is short for “Liberal Arts Quadrangle”. This area of campus is edged by several impressive gothic style buildings (Savery, Smith, Raitt, and Miller Halls) surrounding a grassy area, crisscrossed by brick and pebbled paths. The Quad is open to the public and is a short walk from many bus routes and the two Link light rail stations serving campus, at Husky Stadium and the U District Station.

For visitor information including public transportation and campus parking options, plus a campus map and tree safety information, check out Cherry blossoms at the UW (washington.edu).

For the latest UW cherry tree bloom status, follow on Twitter @uwcherryblossom or UW Facebook page.

To check the status of the UW Quad cherry blossoms, view the live webcam:

UW Video’s live webcamsTo enjoy the cherry blossoms anytime, watch this 2020 aerial video from UW Seattle:

UW 2020 aerial cherry blossom tour

Other cherry blossom tree locations in Seattle

Here are some of the best parks and locations to see cherry blossoms in Seattle from about mid-March to mid-April.

(Listed roughly going north to south in Seattle)

Green Lake Park, one of Seattle’s most beloved parks in the center of a dense urban neighborhood, serves as a natural preserve for hundreds of species of trees and plants, as well as numerous birds and waterfowl. The 2.8-mile path around the lake provides a perfect recreational spot for runners, bikers, skaters and walkers. Supplement your walk with the book Trees of Greenlake by Arthur Lee Jacobson (also available from the Seattle Public Library).

Washington Park Arboretum, Azalea Way near the Graham Visitors Center, 2300 Arboretum Drive E, Seattle, WA 98112 (Google map). Withing the 230-acre park are flowering cherry trees along with barberry, camellia, halesia, maple, madrona, magnolia, rhododendron, and serviceberry. The visitor’s center is closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mount Baker Park to Seward Park features a lakeside paved walking path lined with cherry blossoms trees, plus water fowl, stunning views, and much more. These trees tend to bloom later than other areas, usually around the time the trees in the UW Quad begin to leaf out as their blossoms fall. So early- to mid-April tends to be the best guess. You can also do this as a driving tour along Lake Washington Blvd South.

Jefferson Park, the sixth largest park in the city of Seattle, offers unparalleled views of the Duwamish River, the city and the Olympic Mountains. The Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival Committee donated 25 cherry trees to be planted at Jefferson Park. The Olmsted inspired path system flanked by trees offers a wonderful respite from city life along with many active opportunities. The park is the home to the Jefferson Park Golf Course, the Jefferson Community Center, Jefferson Lawn Bowling, Jefferson Skatepark, and the Beacon Mountain, an innovative natural play environment.

Cherry blossom tree locations in Tacoma

Wapato Hills Park – Metro Parks Tacoma features a multi-sport playfield, basketball court, spray plaza, extensive playground, and picnic area dotted with numerous cherry trees. There are numerous short walking trails (download a map on their website), including a loop around the wetlands.

Find cherry blossom trees near you

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) maintains a map of trees across the city. To see cherry trees in your neighborhood:

click on the link to the SDOT interactive map of trees across the city 0f Seattle
click on the tab “Explore street trees” in the top navigation bar
click on “trees by type”, the map displays colored dots representing street trees
using the legend on the right, find blue dots, which are trees in the “Prunus” genus, both cherry and plum trees

Using the map, some of our favorite spots are:

On Queen Ann Hill, beginning at 11 Ave W, head west on W Dravus St. Follow Dravus down and back up to the Magnolia neighborhood. Follow the arterial by turning onto 30th Ave W and then W Barret St to 34th.
On Magnolia Hill, from W Barret St head south on 34th Ave W to W McGraw, turn left and then right onyo Condon Way W.
In the Mount Baker neighborhood, from Colman Park, head south on 31st Ave S to McClellan St.
In the Industrial area, Airport Way S from Forest to Spokane St.
In Delridge, from Spokane St along the Duwamish Waterway from W Marginal Way SW to Highland Park Way SW/SW Michigan St.
Use the SDOT interactive map to find many more locations for flowering trees (and fall color later in the year)

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Other upcoming garden tours

(If nothing is listed below, there are no upcoming garden tours in our calendar. Theoretically, this shouldn’t happen. We update our calendar a few times a year for shows coming up each season.)