Fun Facts About Cherry Blossoms
Cherry Blossoms are a bit different than cherry trees that are blossoming. Essentially they are from the same family but are of different varieties.
A standard cherry tree might have more of a focus being put on producing delicious fruit while a cherry blossom places the focus on the flowers.
Many of us know the legend of George Washington cutting down a cherry tree when he was six. This would put the year that this happened to be about 1738.
However, Cherry Blossoms weren't in the states until 1910 when Japan tried to send over cherry blossoms to our country.
The Cherry Blossoms are Japan's national flower and it was supposed to be a beautiful gift from them to us.
At first, U.S. inspectors from the Department of Agriculture recommended burning this gift from the Japanese after finding insects and diseases in the trees. According to Washingtonian, this nearly caused a diplomatic crisis.
For two years we put off accepting this gift, but in the end, we let them come over in 1912.
No regrets. These beautiful blossoms have my bees buzzing all over them.
Planting Requirements For Cherry Blossoms
Light: Cherry Blossom Trees need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.
Soil: They need rich and fertile soil that is well-drained and moist, but not overly wet.
Spacing: It's recommended that you give Cherry Blossoms about 10 to 20 feet in between them.
Planting Time: You'll want to plant your Cherry Blossom tree after the last frost to ensure your tree thrives.
Zones: Cherry Blossoms are hardy in zones 5 to 7.
Time of Bloom: You can catch these beautiful blossoms from late March through April. If you can swing a trip to Japan, I'd recommend checking it their festival.