Cherry Blossoms in Washington, DC are a tourist attraction since the 1912 gift of 3,000 cherry trees from the Mayor of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC.
On March 27, 1912, First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted the first two trees from Japan on the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park.
First Lady Lady Bird Johnson accepted 3,800 more trees in 1965. In 1981, the cycle of giving came full circle when Japanese horticulturists were given cuttings from the trees to replace some cherry trees in Japan which had been destroyed in a flood. This year the festival runs from March 20-April 14
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1 comment:
We were just in DC the week before last. Sadly it was about 2 weeks too early for the cherry blossoms, but that also meant the tourist crowds were minimal. Would be a sight to behold in person, though!
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