BALTIMORE — While cherry blossoms are a major tourism draw for Washington, D.C., Baltimore has its own large display of the fluffy flowers on the waterfront.
Fort McHenry has two separate groves of cherry blossom trees. They're expected to hit their peak around March 26 to 30, said National Park Service officials.
That means late March or early April is likely the best time to see them in full bloom.
The national park plans to provide updates on social media about how the blossoms are doing.
The two groves were planted in 1931 for the bicentennial of George Washington's birthday.
They also bear witness to Maryland's history of segregation.
African-American schoolchildren planted the east grove, while white schoolchildren planted the west grove.
The fort's park ranger, Shannon McLucas, noted they were intended to be a tourist attraction, just like those in the nation's capital.
Because Baltimore is slightly colder than D.C., Fort McHenry's blossoms hit their peak just a little later.
McLucas said that means Baltimoreans could check out the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin, then come back to Fort McHenry and see the ones here, too.
