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Cherry Blossoms
With Robert DeFeo
Chief Horticulturalist, National Park Service
Tuesday, April 2, 2002; 11 a.m. EST
The cherry blossoms signal the coming of spring and Robert DeFeo, the chief prognosticator of when they'll be out, how long they'll last, the peak time -- all the FAQs -- was online Tuesday, April 2, at 11 a.m. EST, to take questions and comments. He's the one in charge of the management of the trees, shrubs and flowers in the landscape of the national capital region and has been fairly accurate in his forecasts over the past several years.
The District's famous cherry trees were a gift from Japan in 1912 and surround the Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin. More than 3,700 cherry trees of several varieties grow around the Tidal Basin and on the grounds of the Washington Monument.
The transcript follows.
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Petworth, Washington, D.C.:
I love the cherry blossoms. Twenty years in Washington, and I still have to go gawk at them every year. They are simply beautiful, and I thank you for all the work that you all do to maintain such beautiful trees.
But, every year, I find that there are far too many people who do stupid things to the trees -- breaking branches for keepsakes. Climbing in the trees and crushing branches and blossoms. And worst of all, encouraging their children and grandchildren to mistreat the trees.
What does Park Service do to prevent this kind of behavior, how can we help, and the most difficult question, why on earth do people do this?
Robert DeFeo: It is illegal to pick the blossoms and/or engage in activities that would damage a tree. Most people do this out of ignorance and do not realize they are damaging the tree and breaking the law. We make many requests through the media to advise visitors not to pick the blossoms, but obviously it does not reach everyone.
People caught picking blossoms are in violation of the code of Federal regulation. They can be arrested for destruction of government property and fined up to $1000 and sentenced to one year in jail.
The National Park Service puts up signs and has patrols in the area of park rangers and park police. Obviously, this is not enough. I appreciate the concern and thank those who assist us in getting this message across. This is a perennial problem and I will request additional signage for next year.
As to why they do it -- why did George Washington cut down his cherry tree?
Alexandria, Va.:
How long will the blossoms be around this year?
Thanks!
Robert DeFeo: Blossoms started blooming on the 30th of March. Each blossom can last 4 - 10 days depending on the weather and not all blossoms on a tree are in the same stage. So, basically, the bloom period can last 10 - 14 days, but this is dependent upon temperature and in the latter part of the bloom, high winds and rain. But this year, the extended forecast is calling for weather that will prolong the bloom. They will definitely be in bloom through this next weekend, and then from there on it becomes questionable -- most likely they will not be around on the weekend of the 13th.
Vienna, Va.:
Are the present cherry trees the same ones donated by the Japanese government in 1912 or have the original ones died and reproduced?
Robert DeFeo: Basically about 100 trees from the original 1912 shipment still remain. The average life of the tree in this environment is generally 50 years, but with maintenance and care we're in the 90th year. When trees die, they are replaced the next planting season with the same type of cherry that are produced and grown in American nurseries. However, years ago, we propigated several hundred trees with the direct descendents of the 1912 shipment to ensure we preserve the genetic integrity of the orginial trees.
Annapolis, Md.:
I'd like to know if many trees die and also how many are planted each year around the basin?
Robert DeFeo: We lose about 1 - 3 percent of the population each year due to decline and old age. This is roughly 40 - 100 trees each year. This rate is most often considered to be an acceptable level of loss. So basically, we replace any trees that decline the very next year. Basically, the population of 3,700 plus trees is maintained through recurrent maintenance and planting.
Washington, D.C.:
I've got a great old Kwanzan in my garden. I'd like to go see its cousins on the Tidal Basin -- where are they, and is my math correct in predicting a peak around April 17th?
Robert DeFeo: The Kwanzan will bloom after two weeks after these so your math is right on target. The majority are located in East Potomac park, over 400 trees are planted there.
Baltimore, Md.:
I have a 61-year-old Kwanzan cherry tree. I routinely prune back dead wood when it goes dormant and remove sucker growth. It was professionally pruned nine years ago. Other than that, I have not done much else to it. How long do Kwansan cherry trees live? And is there anything special I need to be doing for a tree this age?
Robert DeFeo: Fifty - 75 years is average lifespan for the tree, however, if properly cared for they can live for many more years. The signle most important task that will extend the life of a cherry tree is pruning. By continuing to remove sucker growth and dead and declining branches, you're doing all you can to extend the life of the treee.
Wilmington, Del.:
What portion of the cherry blossoms are open today? When is the best day to view them? Thank you!
Robert DeFeo: The blossoms reached peak today -- which means 70 percent of the blossoms are open. The best time to view them would be from today through this weekend.
Washington, D.C.:
Hello,
I have some friends coming into town this weekend. Do you think the cherry blossoms will last until then? Do you think it'll be less crowded then it was this past weekend?
Thanks.
Robert DeFeo: Yes, they'll last through this weekend and no, I don't think it will be less crowded. This weekend is the weekend of the parade as well as the 10-mile race, so I would advise you consider public transportation. It is very congested right here right now and people in cars -- you don't want to look at this through your windshield.
The best Metro station is probably near the USDA -- near the Holocaust Museum. Or L'enfant Plaza and you can walk over the bridge.
Arlington, Va.:
What else does your job entail besides caring for the cherry blossoms?
Robert DeFeo: I am the regional horticulturalist and there are 13 parks within the national capital region. And my job primarily entails the management of the trees under the jurisdiction of the 13 parks. The emphasis being on executing and implementing standard tree practices to ensure that we deal with the hazards that are associated with the trees.
Basically, trees -- like people -- have their periods of youth, maturity and old age, and it is all relative to the species and environment. And there are risks from defective trees or tree parts. Old trees -- they're the largest and most attractive, but also tend to be the most dangerous. My job is to promote sound tree care so we can reasonably extend the productive life of trees and protect the public from the risks associated with trees.
In addition, I assist with the seasonal flow of the sprays for Washington D.C., and to a lesser degree, the turf. Basically, I'm an arborist more than an agronomist -- and I focus on trees.
Although my title is "chief horticulturalist," I'm really nothing more than a glorified florist.
Edison, N.J.:
How long will the cherry blossoms stay in peak bloom?
Robert DeFeo: Through this coming weekend.
Charlottesville, Virginia:
Would today be a good day to drive up and see the blossoms?
Robert DeFeo: Yes, but don't drive. Consider taking metro.
Also, from the standpoint of avoiding the crowds, early morning is best. Once lunchtime and the afternoon comes it gets very congested.
Kingstowne, VA:
The cherry blossoms are indeed lovely. But I wonder: would they be the cause of my allergy attacks over the last few days? If so, how long will the sneezing and lethargy last? Thansk.
Robert DeFeo: I'm in no position to give medical advice, however, there is increased pollen in the air as the result of not just the cherries, but all plants coming into bloom. I suggest you contact your physician.
Arlington, Va.:
We have six Yoshino cherry trees around our house, and they are all over 30 years old and not looking too great. The people we bought the house from never properly pruned them. We prune and trim every year to get rid of the dead limbs, but we have lots of criss-crossed branches. To make matters worse, carpenter ants have settled into one of them. We don't want to take drastic measures because birds have built nests in the bigger hollow limbs. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks.
Robert DeFeo: Don't worry about this. You're there after the fact.
As far as pruning goes, you want to remove dead, diseased, declining and interfering branches. However, when you prune, you do not want to remove more than 25 percent of the foliage in any given year. For instructions on pruning, check out the cherry web site at www.nps.gov/nacc/cherry and click on the "how the trees are maintained" link. Basically, you want to develop multiple scaffold branches, but it may be too far beyond that considering the age of the trees.
Washington, D.C.:
Which varieties are in bloom around the Tidal Basin now?
Robert DeFeo: They are the Yoshino cherry (prunus x x yedoensis). The Kwanzan cherries which are a different species (prunus serrulata) will bloom about two weeks from now.
Darnestown, Md.:
I'm interested in your approach to turf grass care. Specifically how much, what kind and when you apply fertilizer on the Mall area and or the White House grounds. Do you practice Integrated Pest Managament? (IPM)
Robert DeFeo: Turf is not really my thing. However, I do know that the national park service practices IPM and nutrient management as part of its turf program. Basically, soil tests are conducted prior to fertilization to ensure that only deficient nutrients are applied. In addition, fertilizer with water and soluble nitrogen are used and all areas are aerated prior to fertilization to ensure infiltration and prevent nutrient run off. Fertilizer applications are conducted in the fall.
Robert DeFeo: In addition, we do not use broadleaf herbicides in the management of turf. Also, obviously, turf -- the intensity of turf maintenance on the mall as a result of recurrent visitor use is much greater on the White House grounds where it is not subjected to thousands of people. That's why if you compare the mall and White House turf, visitor use areas are much more subjected to compacting -- which makes it very tough for agronomists managing turf there.
Disembodied:
With most locals and tourists focusing on the Tidal Basin, are there other park areas that are overlooked this time of year? Not just for oranmental cherries, but for any and all bloom ing-leafing plants?
Robert DeFeo: The answer is yes. Area parks have flowering trees that are coming into bloom now. A large part of this is the result of Ladybird Johnson's efforts to beautify our nation's capital. It also is part of the overall plan for the capital, which has many parks, triangles and circles with ornamental flowering trees.
The goal of the landscape architects is to maintain visual quality with successions of blooms. So after the cherries, you start to see crabapples, but before the cherries there are many flowering magnolias (that this year got zapped by the frost). For a list of what's blooming when, you can check the Cherry web page and it lists what blooms when.
And although not a national park, the national arboretum is always nice at this time of the year. They do not have a lot of cherries, but they have excellent crabapples and the famous azaleas.
Washington, D.C.:
What happened to the beaver family that was munching on the trees a while ago?
Robert DeFeo: The family was trapped and relocated to a wildlife refuge on the eastern shore of Maryland. There have always been beavers active around the tidal basin, mostly coming from Roosevelt Island and throughout the year, active now. However, we have co-existed beavers for 20 plus years and we will co-exist within them in the future. It is not our policy to eradicate the beavers from the tidal basin. Compared to the damage that people do, the beavers don't cause any damage.
Prinston, N.J.:
Sir,
We are coming from New Jersey this Saturday and want to take the metro from outside the city. Can you suggest a metro station nearby with a parking facility.
Thanks.
Robert DeFeo: I'd recommend that you click on to the Metro Web site and find the most convenient station for you. Since you're coming from New Jersey. If you're coming down the Eastern Shore, 301, 50 or 95 -- you should look at the New Carollton Metro station as a possible starting point.
Washington, D.C.:
Are there any other places in the city where you can see cherry blossoms without the crowds?
Robert DeFeo: Not in the numbers that you see around the tidal basin. Nowhere else in the city can you experience 3,700 trees blooming all at once. So basically, not really.
Washington, D.C.:
Hi -- I am planning to go down to the Tidal Basin this afternoon to take some pictures of the blossoms. Where are the best "photo op" spots?
Thanks
Robert DeFeo: The two most common places are paddle boat parking which allows you to see across the tidal basic back to the Jefferson memorial. Another nice spot is the inlet bridge on the FDR memorial side, which allows you to shoot Jefferson memorial, but also the Washington Monument in the background. The outlook bridge also gives a nice photograph.
Robert DeFeo: I'd like to close by referring people to the cherry Web page, which is www.nps.gov/nacc/cherry. Almost every question I've been asked over the last 10 years on cherries can be found on the Web page with answers, with the exception of one -- and that is "how many blossoms are around the tidal basin." And the answer is 1,487,302. (Just kidding).
And I'd also like to say, this is the 90th anniversary of the planting of the cherries, and I don't care how good arborists are or how good technology is, it will always take 90 years to grow a 90-year-old tree.
I'd also like to add that I personally have not pruned a cherry around the tidal basin in 10 years. Everyone in the National Park Service is somehow associated with the cherry trees, however, for the most part, we entrust the care of these trees to the members of the tree crew at national capitol park central. These gentlemen are without question are the best arborists I've ever been associated with. And if you want to thank someone for providing the cherries year after year, thank the tree crew.
It is the dedication to their profession that keeps the trees alive and well-maintained. And this year, there's members of the tree crew who will be presented in the cherry blossom parade. And I will be most grateful to people at the parade, if you'd let those gentlemen know you appreciate them.
washingtonpost.com:
That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the
discussion.
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