Kenwood Cherry Blossoms Reach Peak Bloom

by | Apr 20, 2018

The cherry blossoms in the Kenwood neighborhood of Chevy Chase and Bethesda survived the cold weather of the past week and are now in peak bloom.

David Baron of the Kenwood Citizens Association said Wednesday afternoon the blossoms are blooming on the 1,200 cherry trees that line the neighborhood’s streets. He said this weekend the trees will likely begin shedding their blooms and the area will appear like it’s snowing flower petals.

Baron added that with beautiful weather—sunny, clear days with highs in the upper-70s—forecasted for Saturday and Sunday, the neighborhood is expecting an influx of visitors to see the trees.

Each year, thousands of people stop by the neighborhood to capture the blossoms in photographs and stroll through the residential streets, which offer a less crowded experience when compared to the throngs that are expected at the Tidal Basin this weekend to see Washington, D.C.’s cherry trees.

Visitors to Kenwood are asked to not climb the trees and to obey the no parking signs put up to prevent the neighborhood’s roads from being clogged with traffic. The citizens association also hires off-duty Montgomery County police officers each year to help coordinate traffic and deal with any issues that crop up.

The neighborhood’s Yoshino cherry trees typically reach peak bloom about three to five days after the Tidal Basin’s trees because the D.C. trees receive more sunlight than Kenwood’s, according to Dennis Potts, a member of the Kenwood Citizens Association who helps coordinate logistics for the neighborhood to handle the influx of visitors each year.

The Kenwood neighborhood surrounds Kenwood Avenue:

As featured in www.bethesdamagazine.com

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