When the Yoshino Cherry trees bloom in April at John & Lucille's Country Retreat, it is the most stunning site to behold. The awesome mass of blossoms emerge just before the new spring leaves appear. Each year I take many photos hoping to capture the immense beauty during the 10 days or so these trees are in full bloom. What looks like millions of buds open into 3/4 inch white to pink flowers.
Origin
The Yoshino Cherry (prunus xyedoensis) is a native of Japan, Korea, and China but perform well in the US from Washington, DC to as far south as Mississippi (zones 5-8). Some rank the Yoshino Cherry tree, introduced to America in 1902, as one of the best spring flowering trees. It likes moist, well drained soil in full sun. Its life expectancy is about 15-20 years and has mature height of 40-50 feet. My experience is it is fast growing as a young tree and in 3-4 years the trunk can be 4-5 inches in diameter.
History
The Yoshino Cherry tree is a symbol of friendship between the US and Japan. In 1912, First Lady Helen Taft and the wife of the Japanese Ambassador planted the first two Yoshino Cherry trees at the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park, Washington, DC. In 1915 we responded with a gift of flowering dogwood trees to the people of Japan. The first Cherry Blossom Festival was in 1935 but because of WWII the festival was not held again until 1947. In 1965 three thousand eight hundred more trees were accepted by First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson. Then in 1981, Japanese Horticulturalist come to the US to take cuttings to replace the Yoshino Cherry Trees that had been destroyed by a flood in Japan.
Festivals
The International Cherry Blossom Festival is held in Macon, Georgia each spring. Macon is known as the "Cherry Blossom Capital of the World". Over 300,000 Yoshino trees bloom around the
downtown, college campuses and the neighborhoods of Macon in March each year.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is a spring celebration in Washington, DC. Today over 700,000 people visit our Nation's Capital during the two week National Cherry Blossom Festival.
Photos: These photographs were taken at the Sources:
Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, Michael A. Dirr, Stipes Publishing, Inc. Illinois, page 693.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Yoshino Cherry Trees
