{"id":2419270,"date":"2025-04-03T08:21:01","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T12:21:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/never-pick-a-blossom-if-you-visit-washington-dcs-cherry-trees\/"},"modified":"2025-04-03T08:22:48","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T12:22:48","slug":"never-pick-a-blossom-if-you-visit-washington-dcs-cherry-trees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/never-pick-a-blossom-if-you-visit-washington-dcs-cherry-trees\/","title":{"rendered":"Never Pick a Blossom If You Visit Washington DC\u2019s Cherry Trees"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnever-pick-a-blossom-if-you-visit-washington-dcs-cherry-trees%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2419270&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/baseball-fans-rejoice-in-tokyo-as-japans-wbc-victory-accompanies-cherry-blossom-bloom\/\" title=\"Baseball-Fans rejoice in Tokyo as ...\u2019s WBC victory accompanies cherry blossom ...\">cherry blossom season<\/a> in Washington, D.C. attracts numerous tourists eager to witness the stunning blooms, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">wich reached peak bloom<\/a> between March 28 and March 31 this year. While visitors enjoy the beauty around the Tidal basin and memorials, they are reminded to keep a safe distance from the trees and refrain from picking blossoms. The National Park service enforces laws that prohibit the removal of blossoms, with penalties specified under U.S. Code \u00a71865. Tourists are generally aware of these restrictions, although some question whether picking fallen petals is permissible. Park officials, such as spokesperson Mike Litterst, advise against damaging the trees, promoting awareness rather than punitive actions. The cherry blossoms, a symbol of friendship between the U.S. and Japan, were originally gifted over a century ago, with Japan planning to donate more trees in 2026 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>The cherry blossoms are blooming in Washington, D.C., and the federal city is receiving its annual influx of tourists eager to soak in the beauty of the iconic trees.<\/p>\n<p>But tourists should enjoy the cherry blossoms from a healthy distance.<\/p>\n<p>Peak bloom this year was between March 28 and March 31, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/washington.org\/visit-dc\/things-to-know-cherry-blossoms-washington-dc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Washington.org<\/a>, with visitors from around the country and the world strolling through the Tidal Basin and near the monuments to see the marvelous works of God&rsquo;s creative power.<\/p>\n<p>As highlighted on Monday by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/travel\/tourists-question-simple-act-illegal-amid-cherry-blossom-season-park-ranger-answer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fox News<\/a>, however, there are laws on the books keeping people from picking blossoms off the trees.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. Code &sect;1865 for the National Park Service says that there are penalties for &ldquo;offenses relating to structures and vegetation.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Those found guilty could be &ldquo;imprisoned not less than 15 days nor more than one year, fined under this title but not less than $10 for each monument, statue, marker, guidepost, or other structure, tree, shrub, or plant that is destroyed, defaced, injured, cut or removed, or both.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Fox News interviewed a number of tourists, most of whom rightly guessed that plucking off branches or flowers was probably not allowed, with some saying they think it&rsquo;s fine to pick fallen bunches of flowers off the ground.<\/p>\n<p>Mike Litterst, a spokesman for the National Park Service, advised tourists in a statement to Fox News, &ldquo;Please don&rsquo;t touch the blossoms. Don&rsquo;t break branches off. Don&rsquo;t climb the trees.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There are certainly offenses in the code and federal regulations about the use of natural resources,&rdquo; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Litterst added that if staff members see visitors harming the trees, they most often &ldquo;use that as a teachable moment, not an opportunity to throw the book at them.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The National Park Service controls the National Mall and Memorial Parks in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/woke-dc-area-high-school-displays-sickening-abcs-teens-abortion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">D.C.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Though there are tough laws on the books related to the cherry blossoms, the plants are without a doubt worth protecting.<\/p>\n<p>The more than 3,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dc-hits-peak-cherry-blossom-bloom-washington-photos-of-the-week\/\" title=\"DC hits peak cherry blossom ...: ... Photos of the Week\">700 cherry blossom trees<\/a> along the National Mall and the more than 18,000 on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/fired-government-employees-mar-yosemite-national-park-disgraceful-display\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">National Park Service<\/a> property in D.C. come from a gesture of friendship from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/critic-complains-show-set-1500s-japan-didnt-black-characters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Japan<\/a> made over a century ago, per Washington.org.<\/p>\n<p>Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki gave the first cherry blossom trees to D.C. back in 1910.<\/p>\n<p>Those trees largely died, but more than 3,000 new trees were sent in 1912 to replace them.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;A few dozen of the original Tidal Basin trees still bloom each year and have been supplemented with thousands more throughout the District,&rdquo; the website noted.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/watch-trump-makes-huge-us-steel-announcement-moment-recalls-workers-flooding-stage-thank\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Japan<\/a> plans to repeat the historic gesture next year.<\/p>\n<p>The Asian nation will give 250 new cherry blossom trees in 2026 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The cherry blossoms continue to endure as a symbol of spring in the nation&rsquo;s capital and friendship between the people of the U.S. and Japan,&rdquo; Washington.org said.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The cherry blossoms are in full bloom in Washington, D.C., attracting a yearly wave of tourists eager to appreciate the beauty of these famous trees. However, visitors should admire the blossoms from a safe distance. This year&#8217;s peak bloom occurred between March 28 and March 31, as reported by Washington.org, with people from across the nation and around the globe walking through the Tidal Basin and near monuments to witness this natural wonder. As noted by Fox News on Monday, there are regulations prohibiting individuals from picking flowers off the trees. According to U.S. Code \u00a71865 for the National Park Service, penalties exist for &#8220;offenses relating to structures and vegetation.&#8221; Those found guilty could face imprisonment for 15 days up to one year or fines starting at $10 for each damaged tree or plant. Fox News spoke with several tourists who mostly understood that picking branches or flowers was likely prohibited; some believed it was acceptable to collect fallen blooms from the ground. Mike Litterst, a spokesperson for the National Park Service, urged visitors not to touch or climb on the trees and emphasized that while there are strict laws regarding natural resources, staff typically use such incidents as teaching moments rather than punitive measures. The National Park Service oversees both the National Mall and Memorial Parks in D.C., where over 3,700 cherry blossom trees line these areas\u2014gifts of friendship from Japan over a century ago when Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki donated them in 1910; although those initial trees largely perished, more than 3,000 replacements were sent in 1912. A few dozen original Tidal Basin trees still bloom annually alongside thousands more throughout D.C., with Japan planning to donate an additional 250 cherry blossom trees next year in honor of America&#8217;s Declaration of Independence&#8217;s upcoming anniversary\u2014symbolizing springtime beauty and U.S.-Japan friendship<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2419271,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Cherry-Blossoms.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[52454,52742,23744,33616,33224],"class_list":["post-2419270","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-cherry-blossoms","tag-nature-conservation","tag-springtime","tag-travel-tips","tag-washington-dc"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Cherry-Blossoms.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2419270","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2419270"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2419270\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2419274,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2419270\/revisions\/2419274"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2419271"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2419270"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2419270"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2419270"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}