Care, ‘Magic’ Help Cherry Blossom in Washington

Care, ‘Magic’ Help Cherry Blossom in Washington

Thousands of Japanese cherry trees are blooming on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. When the trees reach peak bloom, the United States' capital city is awash in pink and white.

In the 1920s, the average peak bloom date was April 5. That moved up to March 31 in recent years. And the 2023 peak arrived yet a week earlier, the National Park Service said last week.

"I'm feeling like this is going to be the trend" because of climate change, said Matthew Morrison. He is the park service's urban forester charged with overseeing the trees' care.

The yearly National Cherry Blossom Festival will run through April 16 this year. It celebrates Japan's 1912 gift of 3,020 cherry trees to the city of Washington.

Two of those trees were planted by First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese Ambassador to the United States, with just a few onlookers¹ present.

The average life of a Japanese cherry tree is between 30 and 40 years. Yet the two trees planted by Taft and Chinda and several others are still standing² 111 years later.

"That defies science," said Morrison. He credited the tree's long life to "a little bit of magic" and the year-round care his team provides.

Many of the 3,700 trees blooming at the park today come from cuttings from the first trees, Morrison said. Others are regularly donated by the Casey Trees group of Washington.

Morrison oversees³ a team of just three arborists. They are charged with caring for the cherry trees and keeping a "personal health record" for each.

Three years ago, Morrison introduced the practice of mulching trees with large amounts of wood chips to help their growth. As the chips break down, he said, they release fungi⁴ and bacteria to help the tree's roots.

The wood chips also serve as a barrier between the grass and the trees. This prevents accidental cuts caused by lawn equipment.

Morrison suggests the same practice for homeowners growing trees in their own yards. When wood chips are applied⁵ over the root areas, he said, "it would never need any fertilizer, amendments⁶" or more water.

"Even on the hottest days of summer when it hasn't rained, I dig down in the wood chips and find moisture," he said.

Morrison said most of the National Mall's cherry blossom trees are Yoshino. "It's one of the best growers and the best to flower," he said. "Kwanzan cherry also is a good grower and gets a little bigger than Yoshino."

As for the National Cherry Blossom Festival, there are still several events throughout Washington and its suburbs. They include a Japanese street festival, running events, fireworks, and food festivals. If you cannot make it, there is a Bloom Cam to look at the cherry blossoms.

Words in This Story

peak bloom –n. the time when cherry blossoms are at their best

trend –n. the general direction of change for a behavior, activity or development

defy –v. to refuse to obey;

magic –n. power that lets people do impossible things

arborist –n. a person who cares for and knows about trees

fungi –n. (pl.) a group of living things that are not plants or animals

moisture –n. a small amount of liquid that makes something wet

1 onlookers   

n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A crowd of onlookers gathered at the scene of the crash. 在撞车地点聚集了一大群围观者。
• The onlookers stood at a respectful distance. 旁观者站在一定的距离之外，以示尊敬。

2 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

4 fungi   

n.真菌，霉菌

参考例句：

• Students practice to apply the study of genetics to multicellular plants and fungi.学生们练习把基因学应用到多细胞植物和真菌中。
• The lawn was covered with fungi.草地上到处都是蘑菇。

5 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

6 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。