How it works
Why do the cherry trees in a park all bloom at once, and what became of the first 2,000 trees sent to Washington? These cherry blossom trivia questions cover the trees, the custom of hanami and the gift of 1912.
Read the full guide
The trees and the custom
The trees and their blossom asks how many petals a cherry flower has and which cultivars bloom yellow and green. Hanami in Japan has the shogun who planted cherries for the common people and the proverb about dumplings.
Washington and beyond
The gift to Washington follows the trees from a first shipment that was burned to the lantern that opens the festival. Blossom around the world visits Macon, Newark, Vancouver and Stockholm. Poems, symbols and sweets has a coin, a card game and a pink rice cake.
- For a spring picnic under the trees, read Hanami in Japan aloud between courses.
Questions and answers
What are some fun facts about cherry blossoms?
An ordinary cherry blossom has five petals. Trees of one cultivar are clones, so they come into full bloom together. The blossoms have a vanilla-like smell, and salt-pickled ones are steeped in hot water at Japanese weddings.
Why did Japan give cherry trees to the United States?
The city of Tokyo gave them in 1912 to strengthen the growing friendship between the two countries. Mayor Yukio Ozaki made the gift, and 3,020 trees of twelve cultivars reached Washington that March.
What does hanami mean?
Hanami means flower viewing: the Japanese custom of holding parties under the blossoming trees. It is said to have begun in the Nara period with plum blossom, and the cherry took over in the Heian period. After dark it is called yozakura.
How were the answers checked?
Each was read on October 14 or 15, 2026 in the English Wikipedia article linked beside it, 23 articles in all. Bloom dates and forecasts change every year, so none is asked, and no living person is an answer.