Spring DC Blossoms: The National Arboretum

With Cherry Blossom Season just arriving, it’s bringing back memories of the first time I was in Washington D.C. during blossom season. I’ve tried to go for years, but always ended up going the week after, when all the blossoms had all but disappeared after their brief life. 2021 was the first time I was able to actually go in time and enjoy the many Japanese cherry blossoms around D.C.

Actually, when my friend and I visited, we drove to the Washington Arboretum first, and it was unexpectedly beautiful. I had no idea how large it was, and there were so many blooming trees, both cherry and non. We spent most of our afternoon there, admiring all the garden scenery. I had come across it while researching flower locations, and was so glad we decided to visit. It felt like an underrated destination that was less crowded and easy to enjoy. I could hardly believe it was located in D.C. and felt so separate from city life. 

There were many themed gardens within the arboretum, so I would highly recommend a car if you go, because driving around to so many different spots will save time. On foot is possible, but unless you have the whole day, you will miss out on so much because it is huge. We walked in at first because during the spring they limit traffic to one-way, but after spending some time exploring one part we then returned back to our car to explore the rest. There are many wonderful locations to have a picnic, which I highly recommend!

We ended up going to the main cherry blossom location in the city afterwards, towards sunset, and it was so pretty, but much more crowded. That year they were a pale pink/white, which I wasn’t quite expecting because they were almost completely white, but still pretty. I had seen so many pictures of pink flowers that it was a bit surprising. While admiring the trees, we found tulip gardens to stroll through as well that were full of color. 

March is always a guessing game in terms of weather, but on the days where it warms up and the flowers are out, it can be a beautiful month. I’m a huge fan of flowers and gardens, so if you get the chance to visit DC, the National Arboretum would be my recommendation.

Location

3501 New York Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002, United States (There are two entrances, but during the spring they only use one, so make sure you don’t try and go through the second, smaller entrance when you arrive…which is what we did haha)

Hours: 8am-5pm

Click for website

Map of the arboretum