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 onlookers 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 standing 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.
Title: Care, ‘Magic’ Help Cherry Blossom in Washington
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5833/T5.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Care, Magic Help Cherry Blossom in Washington' data-article-id='6441'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='9146'>Thousands of Japanese cherry trees are blooming on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.</span> <span data-start-time='9146' data-end-time='18938'>When the trees reach peak bloom, the United States’ capital city is awash in pink and white.</span> <span data-start-time='18938' data-end-time='26750'>In the 1920s, the average peak bloom date was April 5. </span> <span data-start-time='26750' data-end-time='32500'>That moved up to March 31 in recent years. </span> <span data-start-time='32500' data-end-time='42563'>And the 2023 peak arrived yet a week earlier, the National Park Service said last week.</span> <span data-start-time='42563' data-end-time='51375'>“I’m feeling like this is going to be the trend” because of climate change, said Matthew Morrison. </span> <span data-start-time='51375' data-end-time='59646'>He is the park service’s urban forester charged with overseeing the trees’ care.</span> <span data-start-time='59646' data-end-time='68542'>The yearly National Cherry Blossom Festival will run through April 16 this year. </span> <span data-start-time='68542' data-end-time='79313'>It celebrates Japan’s 1912 gift of 3,020 cherry trees to the city of Washington.</span> <span data-start-time='79313' data-end-time='96917'>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 onlookers present.</span> <span data-start-time='96917' data-end-time='105188'>The average life of a Japanese cherry tree is between 30 and 40 years. </span> <span data-start-time='105188' data-end-time='117229'>Yet the two trees planted by Taft and Chinda and several others are still standing 111 years later.</span> <span data-start-time='117229' data-end-time='121354'>“That defies science,” said Morrison. </span> <span data-start-time='121354' data-end-time='131604'>He credited the tree’s long life to “a little bit of magic” and the year-round care his team provides.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5833/Washington_C_D.C._Tidal_Basin_cherry_trees.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=19360 data-hint-location='96917' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5833/the__blank__life_of_a_japanese_cherry_tree_is_between_30_and_40_years_.wav'>The <span class='blank'>average</span> life of a Japanese cherry tree is between 30 and 40 years. </div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='average'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5833/advantage.wav'><span>advantage</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5833/average.wav'><span>average</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5833/raging.wav'><span>raging</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5833/placid.wav'><span>placid</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=19361 data-hint-location='96917' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5833/what_type_of_tree_is_the_focus_of_this_article.wav'>What type of tree is the focus of this article?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='cherry'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5833/cherry.wav'><span>cherry</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5833/maple.wav'><span>maple</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5833/oak.wav'><span>oak</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5833/pear.wav'><span>pear</span></div></div></div><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=19362 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5833/which_of_the_following_is_a_definition_of_the_word_blooming.wav'>Which of the following is a definition of the word blooming?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='producing flowers'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5833/producing_an_odor.wav'><span>producing an odor</span></div><div class='choice' 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