Cherry blossom season arrives ‘two to three weeks early’ in Vancouver

With light pink and white buds opening as early as late January, it’s no surprise that Vancouver’s highly anticipated cherry blossom season is already underway. As of March 1, 2026, Okame cherries have been the “star of the show,” despite being a rarity in Vancouver, alongside blooming Whitcombs, according to the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival (VCBF).

While both of these varieties have the same colour, Okame cherries feature dark red, slender leaves behind their petals, and Whitcombs are their more commonly seen, larger-petaled counterparts.

Typically, Metro Vancouver sees multiple waves of cherry blossom varieties bloom between mid-March and early May. This time last year, Whitcomb cherries were first up on the bloom calendar, followed closely by Akebono, Umineko, Shirotae, Tai-haku, Somei-yoshino, Accolade, Pandora, and Rancho cherries.

While the festival’s blossom map is not currently up-to-date for 2026 due to an unpredictable start to March’s weather, a representative confirms with Curiocity that approximate blooming dates are in progress.

Pinks of all shades will soon line the neighbourhood streets in Vancouver, Richmond, North Vancouver, Surrey, and beyond. Although it’s not yet clear when the bulk of Vancouver’s blossoms will bloom, we’re already off to a pretty wild start to the season.

Why are cherry blossoms blooming early this year?

Despite a round of freezing rain and even a day of snow, Vancouver’s early blossoms won’t be slowed, at least by much. The Associate Director of Horticulture and Collections at the UBC Botanical Garden, Douglas Justice, reveals that these early-blooming varieties are a good two to three weeks early compared to previous years, which can be attributed to B.C.’s mild winter weather this year.

“Specifically, it was the cool temperatures and the absence of significant frost that triggered bud expansion,” he explains. “I recall a couple of frost-free winters in the 1980s and the 2000s when cherries behaved much like they are doing now.”

Justice adds that later-blooming varieties like the popular, deep pink Kanzan cherries are less likely to be affected by the mild winter conditions, arriving on time or a week or so early at most.

Cherry blossom lovers can expect these vibrant flowers to appear starting early to mid-April.

How will the cold and rain affect the blossoms?

Peak bloom times are more difficult to predict, as is the weather. However, Justice shares that “temperatures close to freezing will slow down bud expansion, if already underway, or prevent buds from opening if they’re still tightly closed.”

On the other hand, flowers that have begun to open will reach their peaks faster the warmer the average daily temperatures are.

“Open flowers will last longer when temperatures are cool, but heavy rain and hard frost can batter these blossoms and shorten their lives.”

However, tighter buds will be “mostly unaffected by heavy rain,” shares Justice. In fact, some varieties have evolved to become more resilient to the rain; an upright petal posture indicates poor resistance, while a pendant (nodding) petal orientation indicates a high resistance.

When will Vancouver see warmer temperatures again?

While the wind, rain, and wet flurries persist in and around Vancouver this week, the daily temperature is forecasted to jump back up to the double digits starting next Tuesday, March 17, 2026. The sun will likely only peak out occasionally during an otherwise rainy month, but at least the cold snap will be over.

Where in Vancouver are cherry blossoms blooming right now?

As neighbourhoods across the Lower Mainland range in warmth and coolness, some varieties of cherry blossoms may start blooming in one while wrapping up in another. So keep your eyes peeled, because you never know what’s about to start blooming around you.

So far, blossoms have been recorded in Langley, the West End, Mount Pleasant, West Point Grey (including Jericho Beach), and South Cambie.

Bundle up, refresh your local forecast frequently, and try to enjoy Vancouver’s early start to cherry blossom season.

Stay tuned for more info on this year’s vibrant blooms and their timelines!

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