The Jackson Park cherry blossoms have bloomed
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Monica is overjoyed to finally see a robust cherry blossom season in Chicago after two dud years. Photo: Monica Eng/Axios
The Jackson Park cherry blossoms have burst into glorious bloom this week behind the Museum of Science and Industry.
Why it matters: The gorgeous pink and white "hanami" follows two years of disappointing blooms caused by erratic spring weather.
- Plus, it means that we get to enjoy a cherry blossom season long after it's ended in Washington, D.C.
State of play: The official cherry blossom website said Tuesday morning that the trees were still in stage 2 budding stage, but take it from us, it's not true.
What's next: If the current mild weather forecast holds up, the beautiful (social media worthy) blossoms could stick around through April, according to tree experts.
What they're saying: "Typically cooler weather (not too cold with freeze events) will keep blossoms around longer — sometimes up to 10-14 days," Emily K. Lavely, Michigan State University tree fruit educator, tells Axios.
- "But wind and rain can knock petals down, which makes the bloom shorter since the petals fall in these conditions."
Helpful hint: If you plan to hang around the cherry tree grove for a while, use the parking lot south of Columbian basin lagoon.
- But if you're just popping in for a selfie, you could park quickly in the museum lot off of Cornell. This is technically only for museum staff, so be careful.