Millions of tourists everywhere to the capital of the nation every spring to take a look at the trees cherry trees.
The flowers reached the peak of the flower this weekend when travelers took photos along the tides basin and in the middle of the monuments.
However, while enjoying the scene, many visitors may not know that there could be any damage and even a penalty imposed by collecting precious flowers or climbing the branches of the trees.
Fox News Digital asked Cherry Blossom visitors during the weekend if they knew if it is “illegal” to touch or choose the flowers.
“I don’t know, but I already picked up a couple of flowers, so I hope it’s not,” said a child from Frederick, Maryland, while standing with his family in the middle of the trees.
A woman named Gina, who was visiting from Pennsylvania, replied: “Most likely, he is asking the question.”
A man named Chris of Pennsylvania, “probably.”
A woman from Miami, Florida, admitted: “We touched him because we had never touched him. So I hope we are fine.”
She added: “But the texture is so beautiful. We had never seen one.”
Masha, who was visiting from Philadelphia, said: “I don’t think so. I think I saw someone with one.”
A Maryland man said: “I think it’s illegal. But once it falls on the ground, then we can touch it.”
A Greenbelt girl, Maryland, said: “It depends on whether you are taking many of them.”
“If there is a limited amount, I suppose it would be illegal,” said a man named Phillip from Staten Island, New York. “But I mean, it’s really good if you’re just taking a couple of leaves more or less,” he said.
Several statutes and federal regulations indicate that it is illegal to destroy, cut, break, hurt or eliminate any tree, shrub or plant within a national military or land of the United States.
The United States Code under the service of National Parks of §1865 establishes that there is a sanction for “crimes related to structures and vegetation.”
A criminal could be “imprisoned no less than 15 days or more than a year, fined under this title, but not less than $ 10 for each monument, statue, marker, guide or other structure, tree, shrub or plant that is destroyed, disfigured, injured, cuts or eliminated, or both,” says the code.
Mike Litterst, spokesman for the National Parks Service and his National Mall and Memorial Parks, told Fox News Digital: “Please do not touch the flowers. Do not break the branches. Do not thirty the trees.”
He added: “There are certainly crimes in the code and federal regulations on the use of natural resources.”
“But if we see people (doing that), we tend to use that as a time of teaching, not an opportunity to throw them the book.”
Litterst said he asks travelers to become “cherry flower protectors.”
Around the basin and the mall there is signaling that shares a promise.
Once visitors accept it, they receive a “cherry flower” buttons badge.
Many Cherry Blossom tourists were seen with the button over the weekend.
The protectors agree to remain on the sidewalks and far from the roots of the trees, and avoid climbing or balance in the branches and at the same time leave only the fragile branches.
Cerezo flowers usually last four weeks.
