I would like to know when most of the beautiful flowering trees will be in bloom on the University of Washington campus this spring? I would like to bring a tour group to see them.
Typical bloom time for the Yoshino cherry trees (Prunus x yedoensis) in the Quad is mid- to late-March, but timing is weather-dependent. You can check the UW Cherry Cam, which they update each spring: https://www.washington.edu/video/campus-webcams/
This article shows the stages of flower development and provides additional detail about the factors affecting bloom time. Here is another article about research into predicting bloom time.
Excerpt:
“The timing for peak bloom — meaning 70% of buds have emerged — varies each year based on weather conditions that the developing buds are exposed to in January, February and March.
“”‘In order to reach peak bloom, buds need to accumulate a certain number of both cold and warm days, known as ‘growing degree days,’ said Marlee Theil, a UW graduate student in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences.”