From the March 17th Seattle Times "D.C. cherry trees have witnessed a century of American history."
Many are looking their age and have lived double their expected life expectancy in North America. These Yoshino cherry trees line a short distance along the Tidal Basin on the southwest section of the National Mall.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of their 1912 planting. Only a few dozen of the originals remain, mostly located by the new Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial.
They have survived because of genetic good luck, yearly pruning and extra summer waterings despite droughts, hurricanes, marches and even anger. Gilbert Shupe is the supervisor of an eight-man crew responsible for the trees.
In 1912, this section had only recently been filled in with muck pulled from the Potomac River. By the 1920s, these cuttings from Tokyo's Arakawa River and a gift from the Japanese government were putting on their annual dazzling spring display.
The 3,700 trees are expected to be in bloom on or about March 24th this year.
Four of them were "mysteriously" cut down three days after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941.
A Pretty Piece of History. --Cooter
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