Japanese Cherry trees, or sakura, are revered in Japan for their beauty and as a symbol of spring and the fleeting nature of life. But on January 28, 1910 President Taft ordered the burning of a shipment of these trees from Japan to Washington, DC. Why? 

Here’s the story: The idea of planting cherry blossom trees in the tidal basin at the nation’s capital originated with Eliza Scidmore, an influential travel writer of the time. David Fairchild, the Director of Seed and Plant Introductions at the USDA, championed the idea as a benign diplomatic cultural exchange with Japan. Fairchild himself had Japanese Cherry trees growing and flowering in his private garden. 

Charles Marlatt, an entomologist with the Department of Agriculture (USDA), insisted on inspecting the trees for invasive pests. And he found them: two species of scale insects, a borer, a few other invasive insects, and a bacterial disease known as root gall. And so, the trees were burned. 

Many feared that the destruction of the trees would be insulting to the Japanese. However, Yukio Ozaki, the mayor of Tokyo, apologized for what he considered a blunder, and vowed to send another shipment. These trees—3,020 of them—were grown in virgin sod, had their roots wrapped in moss, were fumigated twice, and were shipped in cooled containers to Seattle, Washington and then by rail to DC. This new shipment passed inspection by Charles Marlatt. On March 27, 1912, Mrs. Taft, Eliza Scidmore, the wife of the Japanese ambassador to the United States; and David Fairchild broke ground with shovels and smiles to plant the Japanese Flowering Cherry trees in the Capital’s tidal basin. They remain symbols of Japanese and Asian culture to this day. 

Here in Philadelphia, the Horticultural Capital of America, we have the annual tradition of Sakura Sunday, an event staged at Fairmount Park’s Centennial Arboretum and Shofuso Japanese Cultural Center. Every April, a diverse species of Japanese Cherry trees bloom there in all their breathtaking beauty. Just as in Japan, people gather under the delicate pink canopies to pause in their busy lives to appreciate each other and the ephemeral flowering of Sakura.