Have you and the family seen the cherry blossoms yet? Here are 16 fun facts about the sure sign of spring in the D.C. area!
1. In 1912, Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki gave the city of Washington, D.C. 3,000 cherry trees as a gift.
2. From 1913 to 1920, the trees were planted around the Tidal Basin.
3. The “festival” tradition began in 1927 when a group of students took part in a re-enactment of the 1912 gifting.
4. The first-ever official “National Cherry Blossom Festival” didn’t take place until 1935.
5. Since its start, the festival has expanded from one week to five weeks.
6. There are now approximately 3,750 cherry trees.
7. More than 1.5 million people make their way to D.C. for the festival.
8. The full-bloom peak period can last up to 14 days.
9. Peak bloom is when 70 percent of the blossoms are open.
10. Cherry blossom trees survive for about 50 years, but D.C. still has around 100 of the original 3,000 trees.
11. Thousands of other trees have been replaced or grown from the original trees’ genetic line.
12. The original trees are near the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
13. D.C.’s National Park has a “Bloom Watch” that keeps track of and predicts the blooming of the cherry blossoms each year.
14. One of the most desired locations in the world for a wedding is “under a
cherry tree.”
15. Almost 100 percent of the fruit grown on the trees are sour cherries.
16. This year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade will be held on April 26.
