Chicago Park District’s Cherry Blossom Trees at Jackson Park are Blooming!

After 4 years of deterred blooms, the Chicago Park District is excited to celebrate the blooming of more than 190 cherry trees, located along the Columbia Basin in Jackson Park.

CURRENT STATUS: (updated April 15, 2025)
- Our oldest "mother tree" is at STAGE 5-6
- Most of the other trees are at STAGE 4 approaching STAGE 5
- Many of the white flower trees are still in STAGE 2-3

Due to the relatively minor spring fluctuations in weather and temperature, we're looking forward to a robust bloom of the Cherry Blossoms in April 2025. A majority of the trees have moved to bud Stage 4, and will soon be transitioning to bud stage 5. This generally means full blossoms in the next 5-10 days.

WHERE: Near 6401 S. Stony Island Ave., east side of Cornell Ave., located just south of Museum of Science and Industry.

- The trees located on the South end, which includes our oldest "mother tree", are currently at Stage 5-6.
- The rest of the trees are at Stage 4 and/or approaching Stage 5, depending on their proximity to the water in the Columbia Basin.
- There are many of the snow goose variety, the white blooms, that are still in Stage 2-3.

The beauty of Chicago's cherry tree blossoms is that they open up sequentially per species.

The following are the stages involved in the blooming process:

 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.

Prunus is the genus of trees and shrubs, which include cherry, plum, nectarines, and apricot. Four different varieties of cherry trees adorn Jackson Park.

- Prunus serrulata 'Snow Goose'
- Prunus x subhirtella 'Snow Fountains' white, weeping
- Prunus x yedoensis 'Yoshino' pink fading to white. The bark is dark reddish-brown and will leaf out once flowering has finished.
- Prunus serrulata 'Accolade'(pink)cross between sargentii & subhirtella. Most treasured of the cherry trees. Opens bright pink with semi-double blossoms in drooping clusters along bare branches.

Please note that a cherry tree blossom is distinguished by a tiny notch at the end of each of its five petals that resembles a heart.

For best viewing options, we recommend 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.

Can't make it, stay connected to Instagram @chicagoparks for regular updates and photos or listen to a brief audio vignette about the history of the tree grove, the variety of flowers, and the Japanese springtime traditions. The audio capsules are also available here.

History of the Chicago Park District Cherry Blossom Tree Grove

In 2013, the first batch of 120 trees were completely installed in time to commemorate the 120th 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 50th 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 60th 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.

Events:

In partnership with cultural partners, including the Japanese Arts Foundation, the Japanese Culture Center, the Consulate General of Japan in Chicago and the Jackson Park Advisory Council, the Park District will host a variety of events inspired in the Japanese culture.

• Saturday, April 26, 2025, from 1 pm - 3 pm
Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing)

• Mon., May 5, 2025, from 10 am - 2 pm
Children's Day (Kodomo no hi)

• Wed., Aug. 6, 2025, from 7 pm - 11 pm
Toro Nagashi Lantern Ceremony

• Mon., Oct. 6, 2025, from 8 pm - 11 pm
Tsukimi Chicago: Moon Viewing Festival

Cherry Blossom Merchandise:

Chicago's Cherry Blossom Tree Grove has its own line of merchandise, which can be purchased at the Chicago Park District's Store, www.chicagoparkstore.com, and includes t-shirts, mugs, totes and more. A portion of the proceeds helps fund Park District programs.

For more information about the cherry blossoms and the Jackson Park Japanese Garden, visit chicagoparkdistrict.com/cherry-blossoms.

Japanese Garden rules:

For the protection of these very delicate 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.