Cherry blossoms

Washington, DC is famous for its cherry blossoms. Over 100 years ago, in 1912, the country of Japan donated over 3,000 cherry trees to the United States. These trees were planted around the Tidal Basin, in East Potomac Park, and at the White House.

Cherry blossoms in 2012

In 1935, the first Cherry Blossom Festival was held. Today, the festival is about three weeks long and features dance and music performances, a parade, and even fireworks.

During the Cherry Blossom Festival, people come from all over the country - and all over the world - to see Washington, DC's famous cherry blossoms.

Crowds at the Jefferson Memorial during the 100th anniversary of the cherry blossoms in 2012

Each year, the National Park Service predicts when the cherry blossoms will be at "peak bloom". That means the days that most of the cherry trees will have a lot of flowers. Usually the trees bloom in late March or early April. This year, the National Park Service thinks that the peak bloom will be around April 11-14.

Even though I was in Washington, DC too early to see the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin, I did get to see some other cherry blossoms around town. Here is a picture of me in a cherry tree outside of the U.S. Botanic Garden.

Keep watching my blog - today or tomorrow I will post more pictures from my trip to the U.S. Botanic Garden and to some other fun places in DC.