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Cherry blossoms are the pale pink and white flowers of cherry trees. In Japan they are called sakura. Here are the top facts fast: Japan has hundreds of kinds of cherry trees, most cherry flowers have five petals, and the blossoms only last about a week or two. Tokyo also gave Washington, DC 3,020 cherry trees in 1912.
Here’s a surprise from this fall. On October 15, 2026, TV Asahi news in Japan reported cherry trees blooming in Tokyo’s Ueno Park in October. That’s very unusual! Cherry tree expert Toshio Katsuki explained that flower buds usually “rest” in autumn. If a tree loses its leaves too early, some buds can wake up and bloom in fall. Even then, he said, usually only about 10% of a tree’s buds open in autumn, and the other 90% still bloom the next spring.
Working on a school report? Each fact below is short and easy to quote.
15 Fun Cherry Blossom Facts for Kids
1. “Sakura” means cherry blossom
In Japanese, the word for cherry blossom is sakura. People use it for both the flowers and the trees. Learn more about the beauty and meaning of sakura in Japan.
Wow word: sakura (sah-koo-rah) – cherry blossom.
2. Japan has hundreds of kinds of cherry trees
Japan’s national tourism organization says there are hundreds of kinds of wild and garden cherry blossoms in Japan. Some are snowy white, some are pale pink, and some are deep pink.
3. One kind of cherry tree is the most famous of all
The most common cherry tree in Japan is called Somei Yoshino. Its pale pink flowers turn whiter as they open.
Wow word: Somei Yoshino (so-may yo-shee-no) – called the Yoshino cherry in the US.
4. Somei Yoshino trees are like twins
Somei Yoshino is a mix of two wild cherries, Edohigan and Oshima cherry. Gardeners in Somei village, now part of Tokyo, grew it in the 1800s. New trees are made by grafting, which means attaching a cut branch to another tree. So every tree is a copy, or clone, of the first one. That’s why trees in the same area bloom at about the same time.
Wow word: clone – a living thing that is an exact copy of another one.
5. Most cherry flowers have five petals, but some have way more
Count the petals on a Somei Yoshino flower and you’ll find five. Some cherry trees have “double” flowers with layers and layers of petals. One kind can have about 100 petals in a single flower!
Wow word: yaezakura (yah-eh-zah-koo-rah) – cherry blossoms with many layers of petals.
6. People in Japan have flower-viewing picnics
Every spring, families and friends in Japan picnic under the cherry trees. This is called hanami. More than 1,000 years ago, nobles at the emperor’s court began admiring cherry blossoms. Before that, they mostly admired plum blossoms. Learn more in our guide to hanami, Japan’s cherry blossom viewing tradition.
Wow word: hanami (hah-nah-mee) – “flower viewing.”
7. The blossoms don’t last long
Cherry blossoms are only out for a short time, often about ten days. Rain and wind can knock the petals off even sooner.
8. Cherry blossoms remind people that good moments are special
Because the flowers fade so fast, people in Japan see them as a reminder to enjoy beautiful moments while they last. They are also linked with graduations and the start of the new school year, which begins in April in Japan. You can read more about what cherry blossoms symbolize.
Wow word: mono no aware (moh-no no ah-wah-reh) – a gentle, happy-sad feeling about how beautiful things don’t last forever.
9. A “cherry blossom front” travels across Japan
Warm places in southern Japan bloom first, and cool places in the north bloom later. In Okinawa, some cherry trees bloom as early as January. Hokkaido, in the far north, usually gets its blossoms around May. On a map, the blooming line moves north like a weather front. Find out more about when cherry blossoms bloom in Japan.
Wow word: sakura zensen (sah-koo-rah zen-sen) – the cherry blossom front.
10. Weather experts watch special “sample trees”
The Japan Meteorological Agency, Japan’s national weather office, watches special sample trees at weather stations around Japan. Tokyo’s is at Yasukuni Shrine. When 5 or 6 flowers open on it, Tokyo’s cherry blossom season has officially begun! When about 80% are open, it’s full bloom. The agency stopped making bloom forecasts years ago, so private weather companies make them now.
Wow word: hyohon-boku (hyoh-hon-boh-koo) – sample tree.
11. Next spring’s flowers start growing in summer
Cherry trees make their flower buds the summer before they bloom. In fall and winter, the buds rest. Winter cold helps wake them up for spring. That’s why October flowers, like the ones in Ueno Park, are so unusual.
Wow word: dormant – resting, like a plant taking a long nap.
12. Japan gave the United States 3,020 cherry trees
In 1912, the city of Tokyo gave 3,020 cherry trees to Washington, DC. Tokyo’s mayor, Yukio Ozaki, supported the gift. On March 27, 1912, First Lady Helen Taft and Viscountess Chinda, the wife of Japan’s ambassador, planted the first two trees by the Tidal Basin. Read the whole story on the National Park Service cherry tree history page.
13. The first trees sent to the US had to be burned
About 2,000 trees from Tokyo first arrived in Washington in January 1910. Inspectors found insects and disease, so the trees were burned to protect American plants. Japan sent healthy trees in 1912. In 1915, former President Taft sent flowering dogwood trees to Japan to say thank you.
14. “Peak bloom” in Washington, DC has a number
The National Park Service says peak bloom is the day when about 70% of the Yoshino cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin are open. Peak bloom usually happens in late March or early April.
15. The cherries aren’t for snacking, but sakura can be
Most cherry trees grown for their flowers don’t make cherries that are good to eat. Grocery store cherries come from different trees. But people in Japan do eat some parts of cherry trees! Sakura mochi is a pink rice treat wrapped in a salted cherry leaf. Sakurayu is a drink of salted cherry blossoms in hot water.
Cherry Blossom Fact Cheat Sheet for School Projects
Use this table to list your sources.
| Fact | Quick detail | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Sakura means cherry blossom | Japanese word for the flowers and trees | Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) |
| Hundreds of kinds | Wild and garden cherry trees in Japan | Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) |
| Somei Yoshino is most common | Clones made by grafting; from Somei village (now part of Tokyo) | Nippon.com; JNTO |
| Five petals | Some double flowers have about 100 | Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) |
| Hanami | Flower viewing; cherry blossoms replaced plum blossoms in the Heian period (794-1185) | Nippon.com |
| Cherry blossom front | Okinawa as early as January; Hokkaido around May | JNTO; Nippon.com |
| Start of bloom in Tokyo | 5-6 flowers open on the sample tree; full bloom at about 80% | Japan Meteorological Agency |
| Gift to Washington, DC | 3,020 trees from Tokyo in 1912 | National Park Service |
| First trees planted | March 27, 1912, by Helen Taft and Viscountess Chinda | National Park Service |
| Peak bloom in DC | About 70% of Yoshino blossoms open | National Park Service |
| Fall blooming | About 10% of buds may bloom in fall; 90% wait for spring | TV Asahi (October 15, 2026) |
Easy Cherry Blossom Crafts and Activities for Kids
These work at home or in class. Little kids will need a grown-up to help with scissors and paint.
Make a paper cherry blossom (easy fold-and-cut)
This simple fold-and-cut version uses five paper hearts, one for each petal.
- Take five small squares of pink paper, all the same size.
- Fold each square in half.
- With an adult’s help, cut half a heart along the fold, then open it up.
- Glue the pointy ends of the five hearts together in a circle.
- Draw yellow dots in the middle for the flower’s center.
Patterned origami paper makes the flowers extra pretty. You can also practice with our step-by-step guide to drawing cherry blossoms.
Blow-paint a cherry blossom branch
- Put a small puddle of watery brown paint near the bottom of your paper.
- Blow through a straw to push the paint up into wiggly branches. Blow out only, never suck in.
- Let the branches dry.
- Dab pink and white dots along the branches with a fingertip or cotton swab.
Keep a bloom watch journal
Pick a flowering tree near your home or school, ideally a cherry tree. Visit once a week and draw or photograph it. Write the date and what you see: tight buds, fat buds, first flowers, full bloom, falling petals. In spring, compare your notes with the National Park Service’s Bloom Watch for Washington, DC.
Have a hanami picnic
No trip to Japan needed! Spread a blanket under a blooming tree in a park, or at home next to your paper flowers. Pack rice balls, fruit, and a pink snack. Take all your trash home.
Write a cherry blossom haiku
A haiku is a short Japanese poem with three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables. Here’s an example:
Pink petals floating
Down to my picnic blanket
Spring says hello now
Clap out the syllables as you write, then copy your haiku onto your painting.
Cherry Blossom Books and Crafts Kids Love
LEGO Cherry Blossoms 40725
This 430-piece set builds two cherry blossom stems, each over 14 inches (35 cm) long, with pastel pink and white buds you can mix. LEGO markets it for ages 8 and up. The pieces are small, so keep them away from little siblings.
- Buildable blooms – Sow the seeds of creativity with this LEGO Cherry Blossoms celebration gift for kids aged 8 and up an…
- Beautiful spring colors – This LEGO set features 2 cherry blossom cuttings covered in buds in hues of pastel pink and wh…
- Customize the flowers – Builders can combine the colors of the buds to create 2 unique stems
Check price on Amazon – LEGO Cherry Blossoms 40725
Sakura’s Cherry Blossoms by Robert Paul Weston
In this picture book, illustrated by Misa Saburi, a girl named Sakura moves from Japan to America. She misses her grandmother and the cherry trees until a new friend shows her cherry blossoms in her new neighborhood. The text is inspired by Japanese poetry, and Booklist gave it a starred review. It’s best for ages 3-7.
Check price on Amazon – Sakura’s Cherry Blossoms
Cherry Blossoms Say Spring by Jill Esbaum
This 16-page National Geographic Kids photo book follows a cherry tree’s life cycle and tells the story of Japan’s gift of trees to Washington, DC and the Cherry Blossom Festival. It’s made for ages 3-5, so it’s a good pick for younger siblings.
Check price on Amazon – Cherry Blossoms Say Spring
Tuttle Origami Paper, Cherry Blossoms (500 Sheets)
This pack has 500 double-sided 4-inch (10 cm) sheets in 12 cherry blossom patterns, with a solid color on the back. That’s enough for a whole class.
Check price on Amazon – Tuttle Cherry Blossom Origami Paper
All About Japan: Stories, Songs, Crafts and Games for Kids
Two kid guides, one from the city and one from the countryside, show readers life in Japan, including the cherry blossom festival, the “Sakura” song, origami, recipes, and games. It’s written for grades 3-6, and School Library Journal praised its scope.
Check price on Amazon – All About Japan (Tuttle)
FAQ
Why do cherry blossoms only last a short time?
Cherry blossoms are delicate, and trees in the same area tend to bloom and finish together. Rain and wind can blow the petals away early. The National Park Service says DC’s Yoshino trees usually bloom for several days, and a Japan Cherry Blossom Association expert says the blossoms last about ten days.
Can cherry blossoms bloom in fall?
Sometimes, but not often. If a tree loses its leaves too early, a few resting buds can wake up and bloom in autumn, like the trees in Tokyo’s Ueno Park in October 2026. Most of the buds still wait to bloom in spring.
When do cherry blossoms bloom in Washington, DC?
Peak bloom usually comes in late March or early April. The 2027 National Cherry Blossom Festival is scheduled for March 20 to April 11, 2027, with the Blossom Kite Festival on March 27. Dates may change.
Are cherry blossoms edible?
Some are. In Japan, salted cherry blossoms make a drink called sakurayu, and salted cherry leaves wrap sakura mochi. But never pick and eat flowers from trees outside.
Where can kids see cherry blossoms in the US?
Washington, DC’s Tidal Basin is the most famous spot. Many US parks, gardens, and neighborhoods have cherry trees too, so look around your town in spring.
Grown-ups and older readers who want more can explore our 18 amazing facts about cherry blossom trees.
Cherry blossoms are only here for a little while, and that’s part of what makes them special. Whether you’re writing a report, folding paper flowers, or picnicking under a pink tree, you’re joining a tradition people in Japan have loved for over a thousand years. You might even spot a surprise flower in the fall!
