Cherry Blossom

About the Cherry Blossom

The Japanese tradition of hanami (flower viewing) dates back over 1,000 years. They bloom for only 1-2 weeks each spring, symbolizing the transience of life in Japanese culture (mono no aware). Washington DC received 3,000 cherry trees as a gift from Tokyo in 1912. Yoshino cherry trees are clones - all propagated from cuttings, genetically identical. They produce small, sour fruit that birds eat but humans generally do not. The annual cherry blossom front (sakura zensen) moves northward through Japan at about 30 km per day and is tracked with weather-report-like precision.