This post was supposed to be published months ago, but it never made it to the website due to technological complications and my short-sightedness. I apologize for the situation, but here is what the post would have said if it had been posted in March - April 2024. Thank you for being so understanding.
These photos were taken during the Cherry Blossom season in Washington, DC, in Spring 2024.
This was genuinely a bucket list experience that I never dreamed would happen in my lifetime. Living in the right place at the right time, in the capital of the United States, is something to behold, especially during the peak bloom of cherry blossoms at the 2.1-mile Tidal Basin trail.
I was amazed that over 4,000 blossoming pink and white flowers are in the Tidal Basin; these trees surround America's famous monuments. The petals also rained down and scattered the scene like a rom-com movie. Despite the crowds and tight space, I won't trade this experience for the world. On top of this, I also love learning about American history and took the time to learn how we received this beautiful pink greenery. The story has a diplomatic beginning, with the cherry blossoms being given as a peace gift to cement the United States and Japan's relationship. This plan wouldn't have happened without Eliza Skidmore, a diplomat who visited Japan in 1885 and was fascinated by the beauty of Tokyo's Mukojima Park. This led her to approach multiple U.S. government officials with the proposal to plant Japanese cherry trees in Washington, DC. Her idea was ignored and wasn't actualized till 24 years later. In 1906, Dr. David Fairchild, an official of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, presented his work of cultivating and raising imported cherry trees from the Yokohama Nursery Company in Japan. Eliza Skidmore was in the crowd, and the presentation reminded her of the dream of bringing cherry trees to the United States. This led her to try again by writing a letter directly to the First Lady, Mrs. Taft, outlining the plan and way to raise money to make this project a reality. Helen Taft agreed to the idea and started planning to plant cherry trees in the nation's capital.
This led to lengthy negotiations between the United States and Japanese governments, with the first 2,000 trees arriving in 1909. These trees were, though, not the ones we see today and have disappeared. From what I read, they were incorrectly labeled and were removed. This led to a second shipment of 2,000 cherry trees from Japan, which arrived in 1910, but these trees were found to be diseased and infected with insects and ordered to be burned. The third time was the charm when over 3,000 cherry trees landed in 1912, and no problems occurred this time around. To finalize the exchange, a ceremony occurred between Helen Taft and Viscountess Chinda, the Japanese Ambassador's wife and both women planted two trees together on the current Independence Avenue. This singular event also led to the spread of cherry blossoms across the country and the Cherry Blossom Festival, an event to celebrate and embrace Japanese culture. I also got to experience the Cherry Blossom Festivals in Washington, DC, and San Francisco, CA. Both have been fun in their distinctive ways, and I am now curious how the rest of the country celebrates the blooming of these cherry trees.
Aside from the fascinating historical beginning (plus women's power, woot woot!), seeing these living artifacts in person was an incredible experience. I hope that after learning the history, you take the time to reflect and thank the people who were involved in getting us these cherry trees. To see all of my photos, click here.
References List
Gessler, H. D. (2009). Very Washington DC: A celebration of the history and culture of America's capital city. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. Chapel Hill, NC. ISBN 9781616202989
"Cherry Trees Types and Locations" by National Park Service - https://www.nps.gov/subjects/cherryblossom/types-of-trees.htm#:~:text=There%20are%20approximately%203%2C800%20cherry,represented%20by%2012%20different%20varieties.
"History of the Cherry Trees" by National Park Service - https://www.nps.gov/subjects/cherryblossom/history-of-the-cherry-trees.htm
"Everything Visitors Should Know About Washington DC Cherry Blossoms" Podcast Episode by Trip Hacks DC - https://www.triphacksdc.com/podcast-cherry-blossom-guide/
"Mrs. Taft and the Cherry Blossoms" by The White House Historical Association - https://www.whitehousehistory.org/mrs-taft-and-the-cherry-blossoms#:~:text=Scidmore%2C%20an%20accomplished%20traveler%2C%20author,governor%2Dgeneral%20of%20the%20Philippines.
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