(Iris Cohen) wrote in message ...
The annual Washington D.C. Japanese cherry blossom festival is a good
example. An equally spectacular display could be had with American
native trees such as dogwoods and redbuds.

Not a good example. The cherry trees were a gift from Japan. We could hardly
have turned them down. And they are certainly not invasive, that I know of.
Iris,
Central NY, Zone 5a, Sunset Zone 40
"If we see light at the end of the tunnel, It's the light of the oncoming
train."
Robert Lowell (1917-1977)


I did not intend to imply that Japanese cherries are invasive. The
point I was making is that foreign trees, shrubs and herbaceous
perennials dominate American landscaping, which has lead to the
introduction of many invasive ornamentals. Besides Washington, D.C.,
what other national capitals are so famous for their foreign trees? It
does seem rather odd that the American capital so prominently features
foreign trees rather than American species. It doesn't provide a good
example when one tries to encourage American citizens to plant native
species.

Actually, the gift of cherry trees was prompted by an American
citizen, who was raising money to buy the trees and give them to
Washington, D.C. as the following webpage describes:

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-b...gress/cherry_3

When the Japanese consul in New York heard of the plan to buy Japanese
cherry trees, he saw an opportunity and arranged to give them as a
gift instead. According to the book, City of Trees, by Melanie
Choukas-Bradley and Polly Alexander, the original 1909 gift was 2,000
trees, which were insect and disease infected and had to be destroyed.
A second gift in 1912 was 3,000 trees of 12 cultivars. The National
Park Service says there are now 3,700 cherry trees. Most of the
remaining trees are of just two cultivars, the single, white to light
pink 'Yoshino' and the double, pink 'Kwanzan'. However, many of the
Tidal Basin trees are a deeper pink selection of 'Yoshino' called
'Akenbano', which was not part of the original gift. 'Akenbano' was
selected in San Jose, CA.

Although Washington D.C. cherry blossom festival is internationally
famous, Tokyo doesn't seem to be famous for the American dogwoods it
received as a gift from the U.S. in 1915.