India, Oct. 28 -- Every spring, Washington, D.C., turns pink and white, and crowds gather along the Tidal Basin to take photos. Few know that the first cherry trees Japan sent to the capital ended up in a bonfire. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says the trees had to be destroyed because of an insect infestation. The incident helped build support for the Plant Quarantine Act of 1912.

The story begins with David Fairchild of the Department of Agriculture, who in 1908 gave cherry saplings to every school in the District to plant on Arbor Day. He wanted to turn Washington into a city of cherry trees. Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore heard his speech and began a campaign to bring cherry trees to the capital, writing to First Lady Helen Taft, who su...