Run by our friends at USNA

Auditorium, Administration Building & Visitor Center 

Cost: $20 ($16 for FONA and NBF members)

Since the mid-19th century, appreciation of Japanese flowering cherries has been growing in the United States, melding Japanese aesthetics and techniques with a distinctly American flair. Today, the U.S. National Arboretum stands as a center of American appreciation for Japanese flowering cherry trees, growing about 60 cultivars. The oldest flowering cherry trees on the Arboretum’s grounds were planted in the early 1950s, and these aging trees provide an opportunity for us to experiment with a traditional Japanese method of tree rejuvenation. Noted Japanese expert Kurato Fujimoto will work with our staff for the week preceding this symposium to install traditional-style wooden crutches to support the heavy branches of two old weeping cherry trees. This half-day program will cover the history of Japanese cherry trees in America, ancient cherry trees and restorative practices in Japan, the flowering cherry research program at the Arboretum, and a tree-side presentation of the traditional Japanese support system.