Science & Nature

Cherry Trees in Jackson Park Beginning ‘Magical’ Bloom

Note: This article originally published on April 6. According to the Chicago Parks Foundation, the cherry tree blossoms have now reached peak bloom.

Jackson Park is looking pretty in pink.

A number of the park’s cherry trees are in bloom and more are preparing to burst with blossoms, a rite of spring that’s as bewitching as it is unpredictable.

“It is still up in the air what kind of bloom we’re going to get,” said Patricia Ward, head scientist at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.

And that’s part of the charm.

With the museum’s south portico offering a panoramic view of the cherry plantings that ring Jackson Park’s Columbia Basin, Ward has had a front row seat to the peaks and valleys of the trees’ mercurial blooms over the years — 2025 was a banner year, while 2023-24 were “underwhelming,” she said.

“You don’t know for sure what it’s going to be. They (the blossoms) last for maybe a week, 10 days, maybe a little bit more, but again you don’t quite know,” she said. “You don’t know exactly when the peak is — it’s a little bit like fall colors. When you capture it, it’s magical.”

The south portico at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry is framed by cherry trees, with the Columbia Basin in the foreground; April 3, 2026. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

This year, Ward has observed some stands of the approximately 200 cherry trees already flowering forth, particularly the species that have pink blooms, likely jump-started by a couple of warm, dry days. “And then a whole bunch of trees that are still in bud and waiting for the right conditions to come out,” she added.

“There’s still a lot yet to be seen,” Ward said, estimating that “peak” will come in the next week or so.

Unlike the 110-year-old tradition of cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C., Jackson Park’s trees are barely more than a decade old.

In 2013, 120 cherry trees were planted to commemorate the 120th anniversary of Chicago’s 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, held in Jackson Park and known for its shimmering White City. Today, the Museum of Science and Industry is the sole remaining building from the White City still standing in the park.

While some of Jackson Park's cherry trees are in full flower, dozens of others, particularly those with white blooms, are still in bud stage; April 3, 2026. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

Over the years, dozens more cherry trees have been added, with 20 new saplings set to be planted this year. There are now four varieties in the grove, with blooms ranging from white to deep pink. The sequential blooming of the different species adds interest to the floral show, according to the Chicago Park District. 

As the trees have increased in size and numbers, the blossoms, in a good year, have attracted more and more visitors to the park.

“It’s so wonderful to see people come out and enjoy them. We had thousands of people coming to see the cherry blossoms. It’s amazing.” Ward said. “When I was out there last year looking around, I was just seeing all the walks of life. It might be a couple of sisters, or a family, or a couple enjoying a romantic moment. It’s students from the University of Chicago. It’s all of the above, and more.”

Ward compared the phenomenon with the recent launch of the Artemis II mission to the moon, the sort of experience that brings people together to share in wonder and awe.

“There’s a lot of anticipation and a lot of human, emotional connection with nature. Which I really appreciate,” Ward said “We need that.”

For updates on the progression of cherry tree blooms, visit the Chicago Park District’s blossom tracker. 

 

Contact Patty Wetli: [email protected] 

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