US Capitol Cherry Tree Conservation

Washington, DC | 2025

Ron Henderson, Kurato Fujimoto, Hans Friedl, Brendan Tyler Hall, Ben Jensen Collaboration Architect of the Capitol, US Capitol Grounds and Arboretum arborists

Trees (3) including two cherry trees from the original 1912 gift from Japan to the United States that were transplanted in 1922 to the grounds of the Library of Congress

Credits Ron Henderson, Libary of Congress (Roland Jefferson at LoC 1912 cherry tree, 1996)

At the invitation of the Architect of the Capitol, three legacy Japanese cherry trees at the United States Capitol and Library of Congress were conserved using hoozue, the indigenous Japanese horticultural technique of bracing tree branches. Fujimoto Kurato, a Japanese master gardener from Kanazawa, Japan and Kenroku-en Garden is advised on this scientific and cultural project.

Among the conserved trees, two (2) Prunus x yedoensis, Yoshino cherry trees, had been identified by the distinguished horticulturist Roland Jefferson (1923-12020) as original 1912 trees gifted from Japan to the United States. (image below of Roland Jefferson with one of the cherry trees we conserved)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmIB5LQoAK8