If you have cherry or plum trees, now's a good time to check for a disease called black knot fungus. The fungus can go unnoticed with summer foliage but is apparent when trees are winter-bare. Also ...
In 1909 the mayor of Tokyo sent a gift of 2,000 prized cherry trees to Washington, D.C. But the iconic blossoms that are now enjoyed each spring along the city’s Tidal Basin are not from those trees.