- Title: Crowds flock to Washington's cherry blossoms ahead of peak bloom
- Date: 26th March 2025
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (MARCH 26, 2025) (REUTERS) PINK AND WHITE CHERRY BLOSSOM TREES ALONG THE D.C. TIDAL BASIN DETAIL OF CHERRY BLOSSOMS (SOUNDBITE) (English) T.J. RILEY, VISITING FROM PHILADELPHIA, SAYING: “I wasn't expecting this to be this pretty, to be honest with you. I would definitely come back to DC. I wasn't expecting all this, it's actually very nice c
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: cherry blossoms
- Location: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES
- Country: US
- Topics: Environment,North America,Nature/Wildlife
- Reuters ID: LVA001183326032025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Thousands of locals and visitors have flocked to the Washington D.C. tidal basin to view the cherry blossoms as they approach peak bloom.
The cherry blossom trees, which first arrived in Washington as a gift from Japan in 1912, bloom ever spring, lining the banks of Washington D.C. with pink flowers.
One family of tourists came from Philadelphia and were quickly won over.
“Yeah, it is very nice, so we will definitely come back. My parents are visiting pretty soon and I will have to bring them here,” said Rubi Riley.
This is the first year the trees blossom while the National Parks Service undergoes a sea wall raising project, which required the chopping down of trees along one side of the basin. The trees lost included Stumpy, a half-broken tree with a single flowering branch which was mourned by the community as part of the lost trees.
“It's just always funny what people decide to kind of rally around. It was cute. I mean, it was a tree. I didn't know that other people knew about the tree. I knew about Stumpy from coming here for so long, but I didn't know it had a name until, you know, last year when they were getting rid of it,” said Nicole Amaya, a Virginia resident who visits the trees every spring.
Other locals have not had the same tradition of visiting every year, but one family said they are going to start.
“Well, for all those Washingtonians or people who live in like that, metropolitan area, DC, Maryland, Virginia, Prince George's County, Montgomery County, y’all should come because it's important that we show up here, and that we definitely honor and cherish what we have. It is definitely a gem. It's a jewel to be able to say we live here. So, we're going to come every year. I just told my the children we're going to come every year. It's important,” said Wauketa Hawkins, 47, a suburban Maryland resident who visited the cherry blossoms for the first time in her life on Wednesday (March 26, 2025). She and her two daughters said they were excited to start a new family tradition.
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