The cherry blossoms are nearing peak bloom in Washington, D.C., painting the Tidal Basin in shades of pink and white as the National Cherry Blossom Festival draws visitors. The trees’ annual bloom is expected to attract more than one million people this year; the festival began recently and runs through April 12.
Some of the trees are more than a century old, Diana Mayhew, president and CEO of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, told NPR. The National Park Service (NPS) says peak bloom—when more than 70% of blooms are open—is likely between March 29 and April 1.
Origins and early history
The idea to plant cherry trees along the Potomac came from journalist Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore in 1885. After decades of advocacy, then–First Lady Helen Taft agreed in 1909 to accept a donation of trees. A 1910 shipment proved infested and diseased and was destroyed to protect U.S. agriculture. Tokyo’s mayor, Yukio Ozaki, and others then arranged a second donation of 3,020 trees.
The 3,020 Japanese cherry trees of 12 varieties arrived in Washington on March 26, 1912. Twenty were planted at the White House; two Yoshino trees were planted by First Lady Taft and Viscountess Iwa Chinda, wife of Japanese Ambassador Chinda Sutemi, along the Tidal Basin. As a gesture of thanks, President William Howard Taft sent at least 50 dogwood trees to Japan.
Festivals, wartime strain, and recovery
A reenactment by schoolchildren in 1927 was the first festival-like celebration; the formal Cherry Blossom Festival began in 1935. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, some trees were vandalized and even cut down, and public celebrations paused. The festival resumed in 1948.
A continuing symbol of U.S.–Japan friendship
The trees remain a living symbol of friendship between the United States and Japan. Recently, Japan announced a gift of 250 more cherry trees for America’s 250th birthday; U.S. officials said the trees will be planted around the Washington Monument and elsewhere.
Leaders from both countries have highlighted the trees’ diplomatic and cultural significance. Festival organizers emphasize stewardship: protecting the trees from damage, supporting NPS care, and engaging younger generations so the celebration endures. Mayhew urges visitors and locals alike to respect the trees—don’t pick flowers, pull branches, or climb the trees—and to help care for them as part of the community.