History of Cherry blossom in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: March 29, 2025

Cherry blossoms, or sakura, are the flowers of trees in the *Prunus* subgenus *Cerasus*, typically referring to ornamental cherry trees rather than fruit-bearing ones. A key characteristic is their vanilla-like fragrance, largely due to the presence of coumarin. These blossoms are widely appreciated for their aesthetic beauty and symbolic significance, particularly in Japanese culture.

1912: Cherry Trees Presented to the United States

In 1912, Japan presented cherry trees to the United States as a token of friendship. This event significantly contributed to the spread of ornamental cherry trees in Europe and the United States.

1921: Yoshino Cherry Bloom Date in Washington, D.C.

In 1921, the full bloom date of the Yoshino cherry in the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. was April 5. By 2021, it was March 31, indicating an earlier blooming period.

September 1930: Establishment of the Sakurakai

In September 1930, young officers within the Imperial Japanese Army established the Sakurakai, or Cherry Blossom Society. This secret society aimed to reorganize the state along totalitarian militaristic lines, potentially through a military coup d'état.

1932: Yosano's Poetry Urges Soldiers to Endure Suffering

In 1932, Akiko Yosano's poetry urged Japanese soldiers to endure suffering in China and compared the dead soldiers to cherry blossoms, as a message of enduring suffering.

1952: Current Logo of Brave Blossoms

Since 1952, the Japan national rugby union team, known as the "Brave Blossoms", has had their current logo with the cherry blossom emblem.

1975: Theory of Cherry Tree Origin Proposed

In 1975, three Japanese researchers proposed a theory that cherry trees originated in the Himalayan region. According to the theory, they spread eastwards to Japan before human civilization, when the Japanese archipelago was connected to the Eurasian continent.

1992: Classification of Cherry Trees Changed in Japan

In 1992, after a paper by Hideaki Ohba of the University of Tokyo, the classification of ornamental cherry trees in Japan shifted from the genus Prunus to Cerasus. For example, Cerasus incisa became the preferred scientific name over Prunus incisa.

2007: Riken Produces New Cherry Cultivar

In 2007, Riken produced a new cultivar named 'Nishina zao' by irradiating cherry trees with a heavy-ion beam. This cultivar is a mutation of the green-petaled ''Prunus serrulata'' 'Gioiko' (Gyoiko); it is characterized by its pale yellow-green-white flowers when it blooms and pale yellow-pink flowers when they fall.

2009: Shift in Sakura Zensen Tracking

Since 2009, private forecasting companies have largely taken over the tracking of the sakura zensen (cherry blossom front) in Japan. The Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) shifted its focus to data collection rather than forecasting.

2014: DNA Analysis of Cherry Tree Cultivars

In 2014, the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute in Japan conducted DNA analysis of 215 cherry tree cultivars. The study revealed that many globally spread cultivars are hybrids of Oshima cherry and Prunus jamasakura (Yamazakura) with various wild species.

2020: Use of Cherry Blossom for Tokyo Paralympics Mascot

In 2020, the cherry blossom was used for the Tokyo Paralympics mascot, Someity. This highlights the continuing symbolic importance of the cherry blossom in modern Japan.

2021: Earliest Full Bloom Date Recorded in Kyoto

In 2021, the earliest full bloom date in 1200 years was recorded for Prunus jamasakura (Yamazakura) in Kyoto, Japan. Records show that the average peak bloom day in the 1850s was around April 17, but by the 2020s, it was April 5.

2023: Earlier Peak Bloom Observed in China

In 2023, it was observed in China that cherry blossoms have reached their peak bloom weeks earlier than they previously had a few decades ago. Data from Kyoto, Japan, and Washington, D.C., United States, also indicated that blooming periods are occurring earlier in those locations as well.