FOREWORD 



The Japanese flowering cherries of Washington, D.C., are world 

 famous, and the general facts of their Japanese origins are well known to 

 most people. However, the intimate details as to how the trees came to 

 Washington have often been confused or reported on incompletely. 



This publication, by Roland M. Jefferson and Alan E. Fusonie, clarifies 

 the story of the introduction of the Japanese flowering cherries and 

 describes the drama associated with their development. 



Without question, David Fairchild, champion of Federal plant 

 exploration and introduction, was instrumental in bringing the flowering 

 cherries to Washington. His early attraction to these remarkable trees in 

 Japan and vision as to their role in the beautification of American cities 

 has been borne out of the use of flowering cherries wherever they are suit- 

 able. While we may never understand the religious and philosophical sig- 

 nificance of the Japanese flowering cherries, we can enjoy their grace and 

 spring beauty equally as well as the annual cherry viewers in Japan. 



Hopefully, our flowering cherries will be with us for centuries, and it is 

 fitting that their history be documented while the details are still available 

 to us. This publication is intended to record this historical and scientific 

 undertaking for the benefit of both visitors to Washington and the sci- 

 entific community and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the U.S. 

 National Arboretum. 



John L. Creech, Director 

 U.S. National Arboretum 



