japan's government sent 3,800 cherry trees to washington dc in 1965.
when did japan's government send 3,800 cherry trees to washington dc?
1965
the japanese gave 3,800 more yoshino trees in 1965, which were accepted by first lady lady bird johnson. these trees were grown in the united states and many were planted on the grounds of the washington monument. for the occasion, the first lady and ryuji takeuchi, wife of the japanese ambassador, reenacted the 1912 planting. in 1982, japanese horticulturalists took cuttings from yoshino trees in washington, d.c., to replace cherry trees that had been destroyed in a flood in japan. from 1986 to 1988, 676 cherry trees were planted using us$101,000 in private funds donated to the national park service to restore the trees to the number at the time of the original gift.
national cherry blossom festival
the famous sakura (japanese cherry trees) of washington line the tidal basin and are the main attraction at the national cherry blossom festival in early spring, when the cherry blossoms bloom. eliza ruhamah scidmore, upon returning to washington from a visit to japan, initiated the idea of cherry trees in washington, approaching the superintendent of public building and grounds (then colonel spencer cosby) in 1885. her idea was rejected; over the next 24 years, scidmore approached every new superintendent, but the idea never came to fruition. in 1906, dr. david fairchild, a botanist who worked for the u.s. department of agriculture, imported 75 flowering cherry trees and 25 single-flowered weeping types from the yokohama nursery company in japan. fairchild planted these trees on a hillside on his own property in chevy chase, maryland, testing their hardiness in the washington area. in 1907, pleased with the success of the trees, fairchild and his wife began to promote japanese flowering cherry trees as the ideal type of tree to plant along avenues in the washington area. friends of family also became interested, and on september 26, arrangements were completed with the chevy chase land company to order 300 oriental cherry trees for the chevy chase area.
west potomac park