13 things you didn't know about cherry blossom

For these late-night picnics, known as 'yozakura,' the Japanese hang paper lanterns in cherry blossom trees to illuminate them.

America and Japan host cherry blossom festivals and, according to the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C., the flower is celebrated as a symbol for the friendship between Japan and the U.S.

In early April, 70 per cent of Toshino cherry trees are open. The blooming period can last up to 14 days.

Planning a holiday and want to catch cherry blossom in all their glory in your country of choice? You'll want to wait until March, when bloom predictions are made, to plan your trip.

The top perfume in America is Bath and Body Works' Japanese Cherry Blossom. 30 million units of the mixture of cherry blossom, crisp pears, mimosa petals, and sweet sandalwood are sold each year.

The image, cherry blossom framing Mount Fuji, is a common postcard view.

Rather, it's Macon in the American state of Georgia, which is home to 300,000-plus Yoshino cherry blossom trees. While these trees obviously are not native to the South, William A. Fickling Sr., a land agent, discovered one in his own backyard in 1949. On a business trip to Washington, D.C., he learned more about cherry blossoms and sought to bring more to his hometown.

According to the Huffington Post, these flowers likely originated somewhere in Eurasia before migrating to Japan.

In Japan, the most popular variety is Somei Yoshino.

The Takesimensis variety, known for its white flowers, is actually more common than you might think. Other blossoms change colour throughout the blooming period, such as Ukon, which go from greenish yellow to white before turning pink.

While cherry blossom season usually lasts about a month, from the time the first to the last tree blooms, each individual tree may only flower for about a week. Trees usually live for 30 to 40 years.