On March 27, 1912, Helen Taft, wife of President William Taft, and the Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador, planted two Yoshina cherry trees near the Jefferson Memorial. The event was held in celebration of a gift to the U.S. of 3,020 cherry trees from the Japanese government. After World War II, cuttings from Washington’s cherry trees were sent back to Japan to restore the Tokyo collection decimated by American bombing attacks during the war.
