Cherry Blossom Trees begin to bloom in Jackson Park

CHICAGO (WGN) — The Cherry Blossom Trees at Jackson Park are blooming and the Chicago Park District is inviting Chicagoans to come out and see one of the city’s most beautiful natural wonders.

Twenty new cherry blossom trees have been planted at Jackson Park since the last full bloom in 2020, and the Park District said it is excited to celebrate the blooming of more than 190 cherry trees, located along the Columbia Basin in Jackson Park.

As of Tuesday, the Park District said their oldest “mother tree” and other trees in the south end of the park are in stages 5 and 6, while a solid chunk of trees near the Columbia Basin are in stage 4 and approaching stage 5.

The park’s Snow Goose variant trees, often called white flower trees, are somewhere between stages 2 and 3.

Blooming Process Stages

• Still closed: Buds are visible, but are still closed.
• Stage 1: Buds are swelling but are still closed.
• Stage 2: Buds are now beginning to show signs of opening.
• Stage 3: Buds are opening and the petals will start to be visible within the next few days!
• Stage 4: Buds are opening and the flowers are visible.
• Stage 5: Many, if not most, of the buds have opened and now have their white and pink petals exposed!
• Stage 6: Full bloom- Nearly all of the buds have opened and the trees are now in their most beautiful state. This won’t last long, 3-8 days depending on the weather, so plan your visit to Jackson Park soon!
• Bloom almost finished: Many of the flower petals are beginning to fall off the trees. The ground is covered in white and pink. The last of the flowers will be gone within a few days.
• Bloom finished: The trees are done with their spring show for this year. Nearly all of the flower petals have fallen and blown away. Spring is here now in full swing, and the park is bursting to life with green leaves sweeping through the nearby tree canopies.

Due to the relatively minor spring fluctuations in weather and temperature, the Park District said it is looking forward to a “robust bloom” of the Cherry Blossoms this month. A majority of the trees have moved to bud Stage 4, and will soon transition to bud Stage 5. This generally means full blossoms will take place in the next five to ten days.

The Cherry Blossom Grove in Jackson Park can be found near 6401 S. Stony Island Avenue on the east side of Cornell Avenue, located just south of the Museum of Science and Industry.

For best viewing options, the Park District recommends visiting the Cherry Blossom Grove during times with smaller crowds, which include weekday mornings, and early afternoons.

A map and parking information is available at chicagoparkdistrict.com/cherry-blossoms.

Japanese Garden Rules

For the protection of the Cherry Blossom Trees and the historic Wooded Island, the Park District requests that all visitors follow the guidelines below during their visit:

• Do not clip/prune or remove blooms/branches from trees.
• Discard garbage in the designated waste receptacles; in anticipation of large crowds, please plan to ‘pack-in’ and ‘pack-out’ your waste items.
• Dogs are not allowed in the Japanese garden or in the Natural Areas for the protection of the flora and fauna.
• Please respect the beautiful spring blooms and avoid walking on and trampling on native plantings.

History of the Chicago Park District’s Cherry Blossom Tree Grove

In 2013, the first batch of 120 trees were completely installed in time to commemorate the 120^th Anniversary of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, and another 50 trees were added in the three years to follow by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Chicago in honor of their 50^th Anniversary and the relationship between Chicago and Japan.

In the fall of 2022, the Park District planted an additional 34 cherry blossom trees bordering the Museum of Science and Industry steps to bring the total to 190. It may take a season or two for these trees to get acclimated to the space and to start blooming.

In celebration of the 60^th anniversary of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Chicago (JCCC), the organization is funding the planting of a total of 60 additional Cherry Blossom trees at the grove.

In 2024, 20 trees were planted in the southwest Columbia Basin, north Wooded Island and Japanese garden areas.

This year, sites for another 20 will be identified and planted during the Spring and Fall planting seasons.