Celebrating Japan's Gift of Cherry Trees for America's 250th

Celebrating Japan's Gift of Cherry Trees for America's 250th

The Trust joined Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Shigeo Yamada and representatives from the U.S. Department of Interior for a ceremonial planting on April 10 to celebrate the gift of 250 cherry trees from the Government of Japan, in honor of America’s 250th anniversary.

The ceremony featured a tree-planting, alongside a special choral performance by local elementary students, showcasing how new generations of trees stand as a symbol of enduring friendship and diplomacy and shared history between the U.S. and Japan.

The Trust works year-round to help the National Park Service ensure that peak bloom continues to inspire future generations. Trust Executive Vice President Teresa Durkin was joined at the event by Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) President and President General Ginnie Storage. The DAR is Legacy Leader of the Trust’s Cherry Tree Endowment, having given a transformative $2 million gift to support the future of the trees in honor of America’s 250th.

Through the Cherry Tree Endowment, the Trust raises funds to help the National Park Service to preserve and protect these beloved trees.

Visit bloomcam.org to learn how you can support the trees through the Adopt A Cherry Tree Program.

This special event was hosted at the iconic Japanese Stone Lantern Plaza, which features a 300-year-old lantern gifted to Washington D.C. in 1954. In 2013 the Trust for the National Mall managed the construction of the Japanese Stone Lantern Plaza, relocating the lantern and creating a stone plaza to the site near the Mall’s oldest cherry trees.