Washington’s
Spring Flower Festival
By Dr. Syed Amir
Bethesda, MD
The story is told that in the
declining days of the Islamic Caliphate in Cordoba,
some seven centuries ago, a Muslim princess, al-Rumaykiyah,
one day woke up from sleep and looked out of the
window of her palace and saw a spectacular sight.
The slopes of Sierra Morena facing the palace
were covered with white fluffy snow, shimmering
in the morning sun. Snow in Cordoba is a rare
sight as the climate is too mild for it.
The princess, originally a Christian from the
North of Spain, was mesmerized by what she saw.
Unlike the south, snowfalls are common in the
north of Spain, and while living in Andalusia,
she had missed them very much. She expressed her
feeling of nostalgia to her husband, King Al-Mutamid.
To comfort her, the King ordered the Sierra slopes
to be planted with thousands of almond trees which
blossom in late winter. Once planted, the luxuriant
white almond flowers, covering the mountain valleys,
gave the illusions of a snowfall in progress.
Thereafter, the princess could enjoy her favorite
view from her window for weeks.
The US capital, Washington, has neither princesses
nor palaces; however, every spring thousands of
cherry trees lining the city’s tidal basin,
by the edge of the Potomac River and close to
Thomas Jefferson memorial building, bloom profusely.
The pinkish-white flowers, covering the trees
and carpeting the pavements, give the fleeting
illusion of a mid-winter snowfall. For two weeks,
the flowers sparkle in the early morning sunshine,
as the dew settles in, presenting a glorious display.
Celebrated every year to herald the arrival of
spring and symbolizing the renewal of life, the
festival over decades has evolved into a major
tourist attraction. Almost a million curious sightseers
descend on this city, drawn by the festival. They
come to enjoy the spectacular flower show unique
in America and savor the view of some historic
monuments within easy walking distance. The event
also represents a major source of income for the
Washington area businesses as the tourists spend
large sums of money, staying in hotels and dining
in expensive restaurants. The Cherry Blossom Festival
this year lasted from March 25 to April 9, marking
the period when the flowers were at their zenith.
The dazzling flower show is not the only attraction
at the annual festival. During this time, the
city showcases an array of colorful parades and
floats, music shows, marching bands, art exhibitions
and a galaxy of cultural and sports events filling
every day of the two-week period. The crowds are
entertained by nationally recognized and talented
dancers and musicians who perform during the day-long
events, while famous television artists and stars
lead the grand festival parades. The restaurants
provide a variety of cuisine, ranging from elegant
French dishes to hot south-Asian curries. While
most of the festival is open with free admission,
there is a charge for reserved seats in special
enclosures offering superior views.
The festival in not designed merely to amuse and
entertain. It aims to foster a spirit of goodwill
and friendship, especially between United States
and Japan. This objective is promoted by the selection
every year of national goodwill ambassadors, chosen
by the festival committee from among young people
who are interested in studying the Japanese language
and culture. The chosen ambassadors are accorded
special privileges, invited to various opening
ceremonies as honored guests and represent the
festival at other national events. Some are awarded
scholarships to study in Japan for short durations.
Besides advancing international friendship and
harmony, the festival serves another very important
function; it raises funds for various charities.
The Festival Committee awards scholarships to
talented high school students who need financial
assistance in order to pursue college level education.
The charity funds also support some sports clubs
for boys and girls in poorer areas.
Washington’s original cherry trees were
brought here from Japan nearly a century ago.
The story of how they got here is both captivating
and of historic interest. Their existence today
owes much to the tenacity and perseverance of
one woman, a gifted travel writer and photographer,
Eliza Scidmore, whose name would not be recognized
by most Washingtonians today. Scidmore took a
voyage to Japan in the later part of the nineteenth
century, something very unusual for women to do
in those days, and fell in love with the blossoming
cherry trees which she saw in abundance in the
Tokyo parks. She is reported to have commented
later in her book, “Except Mount Fujiyama
and the moon, no other object has provided the
theme and inspiration for so many Japanese poems
as the cherry tree”.
Scidmore was determined to introduce cherry trees
to Washington. Alas, it did not prove to be an
easy venture. The US capital in those days was
a vile, deathly swamp where dreaded malaises,
such as malaria and yellow fever were rampant.
Believing that the Potomac River might be the
breeding grounds for these diseases, army engineers
decided to dry out the swamps. In the process,
they reclaimed a piece of dry land which today
is known as Potomac Park. Scidmore proposed that
the Japanese cherry trees be planted on the recovered
land to overcome foul-smelling dumps that infested
the new grounds. Her pleas were politely heard
but rejected by Government officials who, nevertheless,
admired the pictures of the trees she had brought
back from Japan.
Scidmore was not ready to give up. The inauguration
of William Tuft in 1909 as the 27th president
of the US opened some new possibilities for Scidmore
to pursue her favorite project. The First Lady,
Helen Taft, had a strong personality and progressive
views, who also admired the elegance of the cherry
trees, having lived for sometime in the Philippines
and the Far East. When approached, Helen Taft
readily agreed to sponsor the cherry tree project,
as she thought that it would help beautify Washington,
a city she considered “a den of criminals
and rendezvous of tramps.” Soon, one thousand
cherry trees, a gift from the Mayor of Tokyo,
arrived, and on March 27, 1912, Helen Taft and
the wife of the Japanese ambassador, Viscountess
Chinda, planted the first cherry tree in Washington.
Today, around 4,000 can be counted around the
tidal basin alone; however, only about 150 of
the original trees brought from Japan have survived
after a century. The relationship with Japan has
been beneficial to both couturiers. In a reversal
of roles, Japanese horticulturalists came to Washington
in 1981 to collect some cuttings from cherry trees
here, as one variety of their own stock had been
decimated by floods.
Eliza Scidmore lived long enough to see her project
fully implemented and her beloved cherry trees
blossoming by the river bank, providing a source
of much joy for the residents of the capital city.
When she died in 1928, the Japanese Government
made a special request that her ashes be sent
there to be interred with honor. However, while
a plaque, bearing the names of Helen Taft and
the wife of the Japanese ambassador, placed at
the spot where the first cherry tree was planted,
commemorates the event, there in no mention anywhere
of Eliza Scidmore, the woman who started it all.
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