Close
MyNorthwest
News
Opinion
Sports
Tools
Connect

Photo Galleries

Efforts to save these trees mean that University of Washington students can enjoy the blossoms for generations to come. Luckily cuttings were also sent to a nursery in Oregon, which are now growing at another nursery in Mount Vernon. If any of these trees were to die, there is an identical tree available to replace it. Though hard to imagine, the trees are nearing the end of their lifespan. The Class of 1959 has launched a campaign ? the Cherry Tree Project ? to replace them. These iconic trees herald the start of Spring for Huskies every year. The cherry trees can be a pleasant detour for students heading to their next class. Despite some ominous-looking clouds, the blooming trees offer a cheery presence to the campus. Benches around the Quad offer a place to relax and relish in the spectacular view of these pink blossoms. These blossoms find the perfect backdrop in the buildings that surround the Quad. () A lack of sunshine didn't stop this group of students from having lunch. Seated on newspapers and enduring a few sprinkles of rain, they enjoyed sushi beneath the trees. In a few weeks these petals will fall and shower the Quad in snow-like flurries. The blooming trees prove to be a romantic setting for two university students. Friends, Cynthia McConnelee-Smith, Kristen Foot and Kristi Trainer, have lunch together on the Quad. Felix Sidener is feeling adventurous as he scales a tree. Master's student, Susan Mittge, enjoys the shade of a cherry tree while studying. These trees are estimated to be between 58 to 68 years old. Since the replanting, clusters of rosy pink flowers suffuse the campus with color year after year. During highway construction, the trees were rescued and moved to campus in 1964. The Yoshino cherry trees were at first planted near the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge east of Montlake Boulevard. They were originally part of the Washington Park Arboretum. Every Spring, 30 Japanese cherry trees bloom in the University of Washington's Liberal Arts Quadrangle - the "Quad."
Spring blooms at UW