The University of Washington Cherry Blossoms: A History

Sakura, or cherry blossoms, are celebrated globally for their striking, delicate, and ephemeral beauty. In Japan, cherry blossom trees embody human life, fragility, and nobility, holding deep historical and cultural significance. These trees are more than just aesthetically pleasing; they are interwoven with Japan's identity.

Origins and Inspiration: Washington, D.C.'s Cherry Trees

The story of cherry blossoms in the United States begins in Washington, D.C., with a gift of friendship from the people of Japan. In 1912, Japan gifted the United States with 3,020 cherry trees, encompassing 12 varieties. This act of generosity laid the foundation for what would become a cherished annual tradition.

The seeds of this tradition were sown much earlier. In 1885, Mrs. Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore, a world traveler, writer, and diplomat, proposed planting Japanese cherry trees along the reclaimed Potomac waterfront. Her vision gained momentum over the next two decades. In 1906, Dr. David Fairchild, a plant explorer, imported cherry trees to test their viability in the Washington, D.C. environment. His successful experiment led to the promotion of Japanese flowering cherry trees as ideal for planting in the area.

In 1908, Dr. Fairchild further popularized the trees by distributing cherry saplings to children from District of Columbia schools for Arbor Day. Eliza Scidmore, in 1909, took the initiative to raise funds for purchasing and donating cherry trees to the city. That same year, First Lady Helen Herron Taft, having lived in Japan and admired the trees' beauty, embraced the idea. Dr. Jokichi Takamine, a Japanese chemist, upon learning of the plan, offered an additional 2,000 trees, which Mrs. Taft gratefully accepted.

However, the initial planting in 1910 faced a setback when the trees were found to be infested with insects and nematodes. Undeterred, the Mayor of Tokyo, Yukio Ozaki, suggested a second donation, leading to the shipment of 3,020 trees in 1912. These trees, representing twelve varieties, arrived in Washington, D.C., and were planted in a ceremony attended by Helen Herron Taft and the Viscountess Chinda, marking the beginning of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

The Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.

The initial "Cherry Blossom Festival" was jointly sponsored by several civic organizations in 1935 and grew into an annual event in future years. The festival celebrates the anniversary of the gift of Japanese cherry trees to the capital by the citizens of Tokio, Japan, during the Taft Administration. Over the years, the festival has evolved, incorporating various cultural events and traditions, such as the crowning of a Cherry Blossom Queen.

On March 30, 1954, Sadao Iguchi, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States, presented the City of Washington with a 300-year-old Japanese Stone Lantern, one of two, the other residing in Tokyo's Ueno Park. This granite lantern, standing eight feet tall and weighing around two tons, symbolizes the enduring friendship between the two nations.

Visiting the Cherry Blossom Trees in Washington, D.C., requires careful planning. Peak bloom, when 70 percent of the cherry blossom trees' blossoms are open, typically occurs around April 4, though it has varied from March 15 to April 18 in the past. The 2022 Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C., held from March 20th to April 17th, commemorated the 110th anniversary of the gift of trees from the Mayor of Tokyo.

The University of Washington's Cherry Trees: A Beloved Emblem

Besides Dubs, the cherry blossoms may be the most beloved emblem of the UW. Thousands of visitors show up every year to appreciate their fleeting beauty, but few know the facts behind the flowers. The University of Washington (UW) boasts its own collection of cherry trees, most notably those gracing the Quad. These trees have become a signature element of the university's identity, drawing crowds each spring to witness their ephemeral beauty. The Quad’s signature Yoshino cherry trees have multiple origin stories. The leading theory has been that they were purchased for $1.25 each in 1939 for the Washington Park Arboretum, where they were originally planted. However, their history differs significantly from that of their Washington, D.C., counterparts.

Unraveling the Mystery of the Quad's Cherry Trees

The exact origins of the UW's cherry trees remain shrouded in some mystery. The leading theory has been that they were purchased for $1.25 each in 1939 for the Washington Park Arboretum, where they were originally planted. Yuki Shiotani, who studied at the UW in 2016-17 on an exchange from Waseda University in Tokyo, debunked this in an extensive paper on the cherry trees, citing evidence that the Quad’s trees were planted on or before 1936 by the Works Progress Administration as part of President Franklin D. Due to the lack of records, it remains unclear whether the Quad’s trees were originally donated or purchased.

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Adding to the mystery, some accounts suggest the trees were transplanted from the Washington Park Arboretum to the Quad in the early 1960s to save them from destruction during highway construction. During highway construction in the early ’60s, the UW’s architect at the time, Fred Mann, drove by the arboretum every morning on his way to work. “Any way we could save those trees, we wanted to do it. We thought it would be terrible if they were dug out and lost,” he recalls. “President Charles Odegaard was very enthusiastic. As Mann recalls, there were many obstacles to the idea. “The tree experts told us it was impossible. The trees were too old and you couldn’t do it,” he says. The late Ernest Conrad, the UW’s business and finance vice president, took care of the cost by persuading the state highway department for pay for the move. But the bidding process went slowly, Mann recalls, and by mid-December 1964, bulldozers were standing right next to the cherries.

The 30 cherries were only a tenth of the trees moved that December, recalls Eric Hoyte, who was the UW landscape architect at that time. While the decision to place them in the Quad was shared, the actual design of the planting was Hoyte’s achievement. The stand of cherries could organize the space better and control some of the pedestrian traffic.

"The formal arrangement of these trees suggests an arcade or cloister, which seems very much in keeping with the Gothic architecture,” he wrote in his 1965 article. “The idea was to try and make smaller spaces and make them more humane,” he adds today. The cherries were severely pruned after transplanting, probably too much by today’s standards. “Nobody knew whether they’d live or not.

Regardless of their exact origins, the trees have become a beloved feature of the campus. The trees bring joy to the community, and keeping a safe distance helps them continue living long, healthy lives.

The Bloom and Its Significance

The annual blossoming of the cherry trees is a signature moment in the life of the University. The clouds of rosy pink blossoms will match the color of terra cotta panels on the Collegiate Gothic buildings surrounding them. The bloom is less a festival and more an annual happening that everyone just seems to know about.

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The University of Washington's 29 cherry blossom trees in and around the quad always draws a crowd. It's not just the area near Red Square, either. Clones of those cherry blossom trees are scattered around the campus, says UW arborist Sara Shores, while more Yoshinos cluster around Drumheller Fountain. Three other varieties-Kwanzan, Shirofugen, and Hisakura-line the gently sloped path between the fountain and the quad.

Cherry blossoms are frighteningly fickle and fleeting, so the bloom only lasts for a couple of weeks. Employing student research at UW, masters student and research coordinator Marlee Theil estimates that the quad's peak bloom (when 70% or more of blossoms are in full bloom) will land during the week of March 23. Peak viewing season at the Quad can result in increased traffic and limited parking. In 2024, approximately 80 businesses participated in the U District Cherry Blossom Festival, which features "blossom-themed" activities and food options.

Maintaining a Legacy: Challenges and Future Plans

The Quad’s cherry trees are aging-two have already died and had to be replaced. Others show signs of decline. It’s a fact of life that trees age and die. “Cherries are a pioneer species,” says UW Arborist Paul Sisson. “They are all in decline,” says UW Grounds Supervisor Bonnie Taylor, who was the lead gardener in the Quad for 10 years. “They are temperamental. All fruit trees are that way,” she adds. While the UW has a yearly maintenance schedule that includes spraying with fungicide and cleaning out dead wood and suckers, some trees still show signs of stress. A quick inspection will turn up fungal growth in the trunks of some cherries. The life span of Prunus yedoensis is 60 to 100 years. Both Talley and Sisson think that the Quad’s cherries are 50 to 60 years old, while Walker says they might even be slightly older.

Maintaining the trees is no easy task. The UW is actively planning for the future of the cherry trees in the Quad. Forest Resources Professor Emeritus Dale Cole currently heads the UW Landscape Advisory Committee. This spring the committee began a major study for the entire campus on replacing its aging trees. “What’s happening in the Quad is an issue that is happening all the way across the campus,” he explains. “Trees mature and they die and they need replacement. Cole says the study will take at least a year before recommendations will be sent to Executive Vice President Weldon Ihrig, and a plan for the Quad will be part of the proposal. As for replacing the cherries, Cole favors interplanting now with new saplings. “Then I would take out the mature trees. The uniformity is one thing that makes them impressive, as well as the blooming.

One approach is to replace them piecemeal as the older trees die. This has already happened with two trees in the southeast corner of the Quad, near Smith Hall. The danger of direct replanting is that some disease may remain in the soil to attack the new tree, says Talley. But this piecemeal plan has its critics. The Quad will end up with trees of different sizes at different ages. New trees of the same age could be planted in spaces between the old ones, Sisson explains. When the new plantings are established, the dying trees could be removed. “You just don’t know which old ones are going to conk out,” Walker adds. By planting replacements now, between the old trees, the young trees can establish good growth and a large crown.

Cherry Blossoms and Climate Change

While most people admire cherry blossoms for their aesthetic appeal, researchers like Marlee Theil are studying them for a different reason-to understand how climate change is affecting their bloom cycles. Phenology, the study of seasonal biological events, plays a crucial role in this research. Like many other plants, Cherry trees rely on a balance of chilling and heating units-cold temperatures that signal dormancy and warm temperatures that trigger growth. The data collected by Marlee’s team of 22 student volunteers helps track these changes and allows scientists to predict future trends.

One of the more surprising details discussed in the episode was the difference in bloom timing between Seattle and Tacoma-despite being less than 50 miles apart. According to Marlee, this could be due to differences in tree species and local microclimates that slightly alter temperature patterns. Some species, like Prunus serrulata (Kwanzan cherry trees), naturally bloom later than the Yoshino cherry trees in the Quad.

Etiquette for Viewing

Remember how 27 of those 29 trees in the quad were originals from the Arboretum? That means they're old-over 90 years. So do not climb, pull, or shake those branches any which way. "Even a light person with sneakers on can damage the bark," Shores says. Shaking the branches to make it rain petals might make for a pretty photo but hastens the blossoms' demise. "We want to keep those blooms on as long as possible so everybody can enjoy them," Shores says. Expect lots of people during peak bloom and on the weekends.

Cherry Blossoms Beyond the Quad

Popular sites for cherry blossom viewing can be found in the University District, at Seattle Center, at Seward Park, as well as a stretch of Lake Washington Boulevard north of the park. The annual Cherry Blossom and Japanese Cultural Festival was established in 1976 following the gift of 1,000 cherry trees to Seattle on behalf of Japan by then prime minister Takeo Miki. The festival was originally held at the park before moving to Seattle Center. Eleven new cherry trees were planted at Seattle Center in February 2024. The Seattle Japanese Garden has cherry trees. Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle also has cherry trees; eight trees were planted along Pike Street in December 2023. A stretch along 22nd Avenue, between East John Street and East Republican Street, has Chinese double cherry, Kwanzan flowering cherry (Prunus 'Kanzan'), and Yoshino cherry blossoms. Part of Condon Way West, has Kwanzan trees. In the Chinatown-International District, Little Saigon has cherry trees, and Mt.

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