Cherry Blossom Festival

On March 27th, 1912, First Lady Helen H. Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese Ambassador, planted two Yoshino cherry trees on the White House grounds. These trees were the first planted out of 3,020 donated to the US as an expression of goodwill from the city of Tokyo. First Lady Taft returned the gesture by presenting a bouquet of American Beauty roses to Viscountess Chinda.

Today the Cherry Blossom Festival, which is celebrated jointly by the US and Japan, commemorates the original planting ceremony and serves as a welcome to spring and its display of flowers. Attracting visitors from around the world, Washington DC becomes a very popular tourist attraction at cherry blossom time. Keep track of the weather and bloom schedules by visiting the official Web site:

National Cherry Blossom Festival.