CHERRY BLOSSOM

For over 100 years , Cherry Blossom have made spring ,a magical season in Washington DC. Cherry

 Blossom festival commemorate the gift of Japanese cherry trees from the Mayor of  Tokyo City to

the city of Washington DC on March 27, 1912,.A Cherry Blossom is the flower of any of several

trees of genus Prunus, particularly the Japanese Cherry called Sakura .

 In Japan, the flowering cherry tree, or "Sakura," is an exalted flowering plant.  The beauty of the

cherry blossom is a potent and lasting symbol  of Japanese culture. The celebration is called Hanami

 ( Blossom Viewing ) in Japan in  which people from all walks of life gather under the blossomed

trees and enjoy the brief burst of the beauty of nature and springtime.

 In Japan Cherry blossom also symbolize clouds due to it its nature of blooming. Cherry blossom is

 speculated to be native to the Himalayas and is currently distributed widely in temperate zone of

northern hemisphere  such as Europe, West Siberia, South Korea, China, Japan and United States .

Washington, DC's famed cherry trees grow mainly in three park locations. They can be seen around

 the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park, in East Potomac Park (Haines Point),and near to the  grounds

 of the Washington  Monument. Approximately 3,750 cherry trees are on the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC.

Different varieties of cherry trees participate in the blossom festival.The dominant Yoshino trees
produces  single white blossoms that create an effect of white clouds around the Tidal Basin and
 north onto the grounds of the Washington Monument. Akebono cherry trees, which bloom at the
 same time as the Yoshino trees, produce single and pale-pink blossoms.

The Kwanzan  cherry trees grows primarily in East Potomac Park and comes into bloom two weeks

after the Yoshino. It produces clusters of clear pink double blossoms. East Potomac Park also has

Fugenzo, which produces rosy pink double blossoms, and Shirofugen which produces white double

blossoms that age to pink. Interspersed among all the trees are the Weeping Cherry, which produces a

 variety of single and double blossoms of colors ranging from dark pink to white about a week before the Yoshino.

Other cultivars that can be found are the Autumn Cherry (semi-double, pink), Sargent Cherry which
 is single and deep pink), Usuzumi (white-grey), and Takesimensis. The dates of the National Cherry
 Blossom Festival are set based on the average date of blooming,  which is around April 4th.

Based on the weather ,the date when the cherry blossoms reach their peak bloom varies from year to
year. The blooming period  can last up to 14 days. They are considered to be at their peak when 70
percent  of the blossoms are open.  

Growing cherry trees in Washington was the brainchild of two flowering-cherry aficionados, Eliza
  Scidmore and Dr David Fairchild. Scidmore was an American globetrotter,writer, photographer and
 the first woman to sit on the National Geographic Society's board of directors. She was overwhelmed
 by the lovely blossoming cherry trees when she visited Japan.For 24 years she advocated for planting
  Japanese cherry trees in Washington DC.

 Fairchild was an American botanist responsible for  introducing  more than 200,000 exotic plants to

 America. He planted 75 cherry trees himself to test  their viability and succeeded in his  experiment.
 Pleased with the success he began to promote Japanese flowering cherry trees as the ideal type of
 tree to plant along avenues in the Washington area.

The first "Cherry Blossom Festival" was held in 1935 under joint sponsorship by numerous civic

groups, became an annual event. It is said that in Japan celebrating the cherry blossoms was an old

 tradition started  from 8th century onwards. These flowers are also considered as the unofficial

 national flower of Japan ( As Japan has not yet formally declared any national flower )

The festival is an annual, city-wide event featuring more than 200 international cultural

performances and over 90 other special events. More than 700,000 people visit Washington DC each

 year to admire the blossoming cherry trees that herald the beginning of spring in the nation's capital.

The two-week festival with an array of activities and cultural events takes place on the following days. 

 

The Blossom Kite Festival (formerly the Smithsonian Kite Festival) usually takes place during the

 festival's first weekend. Every day there is a sushi/sake celebration, classes about cherry blossoms,

 and a bike tour of the Tidal Basin. Other events include cultural performances, fashion shows, dance,

 singing,art exhibits (photography, sculpture, animation) ,rakugo, kimono , martial arts, merchant-

sponsored events, and a rugby union tournament.

 On the second Saturday of the celebration, a three-stage festival takes place on the Southwest

 Waterfront. The next morning, the Cherry Blossom 10-Mile Run  begins on the grounds of the

Washington Monument. Later in the day, dignitaries gather at the Tidal Basin to participate in a

ceremonial lighting of the 360-year old Japanese stone lantern.

On the last Saturday of the festival, the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade takes place along

the Constitution Avenue. When the festival ends, a fireworks show begins on the nearby Washington

Channel. The pyrotechnic petals that burst overhead is one of the highlights of the National Cherry

Blossom Festival  and drew in huge crowds of spectators . 

 

 

Location: Washington DC
Camera: Canon Power shot A490, Canon Powershot SD 400,Nikon DSLR ( Arasu)