Philly's cherry blossoms may bloom later after a lingering winter
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After one of the coldest winters in recent years, Philly's cherry blossoms may not reach peak bloom until early April.
Why it matters: The yearly floral explosion at Fairmount Park is the surest sign winter-weary residents can finally exhale and say, "Thank God, winter's over," Vince Marrocco, horticultural director at Morris Arboretum and Gardens, tells Axios.
The big picture: Philly has endured one of its coldest, snowiest winters in several years, with two major storms and subfreezing temperatures that have residents longing for spring.
- Philly's cherry trees are fine, Marrocco says. They're built to withstand freezing temperatures — and the prolonged cold may have even benefited some other species.
Driving the news: Philly's cherry blossoms are expected to reach peak bloom around April 4 — about a week behind our nation's capital.
- Philly's annual Cherry Blossom Festival's main event — Sakura Weekend — runs March 28-29.
What they're saying: Last year's anticipated bloom fell around the same time, but Marrocco says predicting the blossoms is like a "crap shoot" and can be off by a week or so depending on the weather.
Zoom in: The cold weather has been a boon for plants like the hemlock, which has in recent years suffered from invasive scale, a non-native insect that typically dies in the cold.
By the numbers: Philly has added about 200 new cherry blossom trees for this year's semiquincentennial anniversary, Marrocco says.
- The region has more than 70 varieties of cherry trees, with some flowering sooner than others.
- The earliest bloomers: Okame, which will start budding in late March, followed by Yoshino in early April, Marrocco says.
Threat level: The biggest concern for cherry blossoms is a warm spell followed by an unexpected freeze.
- "You can lose blossoms that way," Marrocco says.