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A Symbol of International Friendship
On March 27, 1912, First Lady Helen Herron Taft, Viscountess Iwa Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador to the United States, and a small group of people assembled at the Tidal Basin. There they planted the first two of more than 3,000 flowering cherry trees that were given to the city of Washington, DC, bu the city of Tokyo. Afterwards, Mrs. Taft presented Viscountess Chinda with a bouquet of American Beauty roses. Four years later when the young trees bloomed, the blossoms began to serve as an annual reminder of the friendship between the United States and Japan.
The Two Original Trees:
The grove you are looking at is the site of the original planting. Staying on the trails and the walkways helps protect the trees by preventing soil compaction. |