Washington, D.C.’s cherry trees are approaching peak bloom, turning the Tidal Basin into swaths of pink and white as the National Cherry Blossom Festival draws crowds. Organizers expect more than one million visitors this year; the festival is already underway and runs through April 12. The National Park Service says peak bloom—defined as more than 70% of blossoms open—is likely between March 29 and April 1. Diana Mayhew, president and CEO of the festival, told NPR that some of the trees are more than a century old.
How the trees arrived
The idea to plant cherry trees along the Potomac began with journalist Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore in 1885. After years of advocacy, First Lady Helen Taft accepted a donation in 1909. A 1910 shipment of trees was found to be diseased and destroyed to protect U.S. agriculture, but a second donation was arranged by Tokyo’s mayor, Yukio Ozaki, and others. That shipment of 3,020 trees, representing 12 varieties, arrived in Washington on March 26, 1912. Twenty were planted at the White House; along the Tidal Basin, First Lady Taft and Viscountess Iwa Chinda planted two Yoshino trees. As a gesture of thanks, President William Howard Taft sent at least 50 dogwood trees to Japan.
Festival history and wartime strain
A schoolchildren’s reenactment in 1927 was the first festival-like celebration, and the formal National Cherry Blossom Festival began in 1935. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, some trees were vandalized or cut down and public celebrations were suspended. The festival resumed in 1948 and has grown into an annual celebration of spring, culture, and community.
A lasting symbol of friendship
The cherry trees remain a living symbol of friendship between the United States and Japan. Recently, Japan announced a gift of 250 cherry trees to mark America’s 250th anniversary; U.S. officials say those trees will be planted around the Washington Monument and at other sites. Leaders from both countries have highlighted the trees’ diplomatic and cultural importance.
Caring for the trees
Festival organizers and the National Park Service emphasize stewardship as central to the event’s future. Protecting the trees means avoiding damage—don’t pick the blossoms, pull branches, or climb the trees—and supporting NPS care. Organizers stress education and engaging younger generations so the celebration endures. Mayhew urges visitors and locals alike to enjoy the blooms respectfully and help preserve this decades-old gift for the future.