In 1912, Japan presented the U.S. with a gift of cherry trees. (It is not known if the Japanese asked for their gift back after the unpleasantness of August 1945) First Lady Taft and Vicountess Chinda of Japan planted the original trees around the Tidal Basin near the Jefferson Memorial. Today, there are more than 3700 cherry trees that grow around the Tidal Basin and on the grounds of the Washington Monument. Most of the trees are of the Yoshino variety, a favorite of the Japanese.
Predicting when the buds will bloom has become an art form that is undertaken by the NPS Regional Horticulturist. Today was considered to be the first day of the peak bloom period that is expected to last through April 6th. It was a beautiful day - temps in the mid 70s, clear blue skies and an occassional breeze that produced flurries of white and pink blossom petals.
Normally, I add captions to my pictures, but there are only so many ways to say, "Hey, here's a picture of a cherry blossom." Anyways, enjoy them and click to enlarge them to get the full effect.
