Washington DC Cherry Blossoms

For many, it is hard to imagine Washington, DC, without cherry blossoms. However, cherry blossoms are not native to Washington, DC, or the surrounding area. Japan introduced cherry blossoms to the United States around a century ago as a courtesy gift. Cherry blossoms are associated with Japanese culture strongly, so it isn’t surprising that American cherry blossoms are Japanese in origin. Given that these cherry blossoms constituted a gift from one nation to another, it stands to reason that they would plant the cherry blossoms in the United State’s capital city.
Interestingly enough, introducing cherry blossoms to Washington, DC, was tricky at first. Insect parasites and roundworms infested the young trees sent initially. The American president at the time was William Howard Taft. He took the advice of the agricultural experts of the day and burned the trees.
Taft was not known for being a skilled diplomat. If the U.S. Secretary of State did not intervene, Taft might have severely offended the Japanese officials. Fortunately, the U.S. Secretary of State explained the situation and planted over three thousand trees in 1912. Thankfully, these perfectly healthy trees helped start a new cultural tradition in the United States. In 1935, our nation held the first cherry blossom festival in Washington, DC; these festivals have become famous since then.
While few people travel to the capital city to see the cherry blossoms, many people will enjoy seeing them there.
People who do love the cherry blossoms that much might want to go to the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which does take place in Washington, DC. At this festival, people can appreciate the beautiful cherry blossoms during a point of the year that is particularly conducive to seeing them between late March and late April. Around seventy percent of the flowers will have bloomed during that time, with the peak bloom date varying slightly.
Cherry blossoms have become truly iconic in Washington, DC, especially during springtime, and they are at the peak of their powers. Many of the cherry trees have been planted artificially. However, there is still evidence that many cherry trees have been native to the area. As such, the developers are expanding upon the city’s natural beauty. To begin with, they are making parts more iconic than others.
The United States is famously a country that expands to cover an entire continent, which means that the weather conditions throughout the United States will manage to vary nearly as much. For example, the city of Washington, DC, can offer people cherry blossoms in the springtime due to the area’s unique climate. People don’t have to travel very far in the United States to find a similar place with an environment where beautiful cherry blossoms would never thrive.