Learn More About the Cherry Blossoms

When the Tidal Basin is abloom with its annual display of pink and white petals, we take time to remember the presidential first ladies. Helen Taft was the first presidential spouse to observe the traditional Japanese custom of “hanami” or flower watching in the United States. Subsequent first ladies have continued the tradition of DC’s “spring rite” as honorary chairs of the Cherry Blossom Festival.

In 1885, 29-year old Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore returned to the United States following her first visit to Japan, where her brother George worked for the US Consular Service. While there, she developed a great appreciation for the Japanese people, culture, and the beauty of the Japanese flowering cherry trees. She brought back with her a desire to introduce the beauty of Japanese cherry blossoms to the American people.

Helen "Nellie" Herron Taft's dream of becoming First Lady propelled her husband William Howard Taft into running for the presidency. For her part, she was a lady of "firsts," and was among the First Ladies to transform the role into the significant one it is today. Her legacy is still evident in parts of the National Mall.

The story goes that when Washington was six years old, he received a hatchet as a gift, after which he promptly went and cut down his father’s favorite cherry tree.

Strolling among the blossoming cherry trees in Washington, DC has been a cherished rite of spring for more than a century in the Nation's Capital. But in the trees’ homeland of Japan, the tradition of viewing the cherry blossoms, known as 'hanami,' dates back more than 1,200 years!

Presented to the city of Washington on March 30, 1954, this stone lantern symbolizes the enduring cultural partnership that re-emerged between Japan and the United States after World War II.

Each year at the National Cherry Blossom Festival Welcome Area, the National Park Service displays a Japanese-American “Friendship Mural.” This activity invites all children to participate by leaving a message or drawing a picture celebrating the diversity of cultures that is then shared with children of Japan as a gift of friendship.

Each spring, the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. is alive with crowds of visitors who come to see the iconic monuments framed by delicate pink and white cherry blossoms. The trees that line the walkways were a gift from the citizens of Japan in 1912, an act of landscape diplomacy and design initiated by First Lady Helen Taft. The relationship symbolized by these cherry trees continues to be recognized through both formal ceremonies and the admiration of visitors.

This Japanese Pagoda is a symbol of friendship dedicated on April 18, 1958 by the Mayor of Yokohama and presented to the District of Columbia.

What kinds of birds have you seen on the National Mall? Cherry trees give birds a place to call home. They provide cover from the wind, shade from the sun, and food. The relationship becomes symbiotic when birds eat insects that could harm the trees.