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Cherry Blossom parade might be nixed if there's a shutdown By Michael O'Brien - 04/06/11 12:38 PM ET The National Cherry Blossom Parade may not take place if there is a government shutdown, the Obama administration cautioned Wednesday. Among the government operations and services that could be closed would be national parks, which includes the site of Saturday's parade in Washington, D.C. A senior administration official singled out the parade during a conference call Wednesday morning hosted by the Office of Management and Budget. Federal agencies have sought to identify which employees and services would be furloughed if lawmakers can't...

The 3,750 cherry blossom trees that line the Tidal Basin and surrounding national parks in Washington, D.C., survived winter blizzards and will again bloom during the peak tourist season, according to the National Park Service. Agency horticulturalist Rob Defeo says only four or five trees were destroyed and that crews are working seven days a week to prepare for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs from March 27 to April 11. The damage is nothing we haven't seen in 90-plus years," he said. "I guarantee you, by the time the festival comes around, you won't even know there was...

TOKYO (AFP) – Japan's celebrated cherry blossom, which for millions heralds the start of spring, is under threat from climate change, according to experts, who say warmer weather is causing early flowering. Cherry blossom season officially began in Tokyo this year on March 21 -- five days ahead of schedule and a full week earlier than the average for the last 30 years of the 20th century. Far from being a freak occurrence, the phenomenon of early blossoming has been happening for several years, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). Traditionally, the first sakura -- cherry tree -- flowers...