The Yokohama Friendship Bell pavilion on Shelter Island and Tuna Harbor Park near the USS Midway Museum will get colorful pops of pink just in time for spring with the planting of more than 20 “Pink Cloud” cherry trees at the sites in late March. The Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles donated the trees to the Unified Port District of San Diego to commemorate the anniversary of a similar contribution from Tokyo to Washington, D.C. 100 years ago. In 1912, Tokyo’s mayor Yukio Ozaki donated more than 3,000 cherry trees that can be seen today in Washington, D.C. around the tidal basin and adjacent areas in east and west Potomac parks. Despite a violent history between the two countries during World War II, the gift was meant to symbolize peace and friendship. As a measure of the ever-blossoming camaraderie betwe-en the United States and Japan, Japanese Consul Kuniko Nakamura presented Port chairman Lou Smith and vice chairwoman Ann Moore with the offer of the cherry trees alongside a book on Kyoto’s courtyard gardens and several limited-edition calendars featuring the art of flower arrangement during the Port’s Feb. 14 meeting. The donation, coordinated by the Japanese Embassy and the Consulates General of Japan, is one of 36 similar donations to cities across the United States to celebrate the centennial anniversary of Tokyo’s gift to the nation’s capital. Nakamura said San Diego serves as an ideal location for the gift because of the large number of service members and Japanese-Americans in the area. Smith, a retired Navy admiral, spent time in D.C. during his service and recalled enjoying the pink blossoms that adorned the cherry trees around the tidal basin in the springtime. “This donation underscores our friendship with the people of Japan,” said Smith. “The tree planting ceremony will be a time to celebrate our ties with our friends across the Pacific.” The planting ceremony on March 29 will begin with a tree dedication at 11:30 a.m. at Tuna Harbor Park, followed by a free public event aboard the USS Midway featuring live entertainment and Japanese food. San Gabriel Nursery & Florist will supply the “Pink Cloud” cherry trees, which nursery owner Mary Swanton said are best suited for the Southern California climate. “Compared to Yoshino, ‘Pink Clouds’ are stronger, more rugged, less graceful — straighter, stiffer branches — and bear a deeper pink blossom,” she said. “They enjoy moist air and cool summers, and the ‘Pink Cloud’ variety is more suited to Southern California weather than other varietals that prefer colder weather. Our air is drier and the soil and water is more alkaline than in Japan.” The trees blossom bright, single pink flowers that cover the willowy, upright tree. The trees are expected to grow to a height of around 15 feet, with branches spanning a similar distance. The trees that were donated are already beginning to bud, and San Diegans can expect to see blooms by the time the trees are planted in March.