As the spring weather blooms into full effect, Toronto residents are eagerly awaiting one of the most highly anticipated events — the cherry blossoms in High Park.
Local cherry blossom expert, Sakura Steve, has been keeping his weekly updates, and given an update on when we can expect the cherry blossoms to hit full bloom.
After a recent visit to High Park, he showcased that the current buds are sitting at Stage Two in their blooming process. That means little progress has been made from last week’s green-tipped babies into fuller, rounder buds — but that’s a good thing.
Because Toronto experienced colder-than-usual weather during April, this stage of the process has kept the buds safe and secure to combat the harsher climate.
Steven notes that, if the buds had progressed to Stage Three or Four, they would’ve likely been damaged.
But this comes with the downside of the cherry blossoms being stuck at Stage Two, delaying their development by a short while — as he estimated to hit peak bloom in 16 to 22 days.
Understanding when the cherry blossoms are in peak bloom is helpful, as these are delicate flowers that only last from four to 10 days, with weather playing a large factor in the blossoms’ longevity.
What can you do to help?
While the weather has played a big factor in delaying the blossoms’ full bloom, Steve notes there are things Toronto residents who are eagerly waiting can do to help the process along.
It’s essential that, during this development, the public keep a safe distance away from the trees. That means no picking or breaking off any branches or buds; no climbing, sitting or standing on the trunks or branches; and especially no littering in or around the tree.
Because cherry blossom trees are fragile, not showing proper respect to their surroundings can cause irreparable harm to them, and leave them unprotected against insects and disease.
If you want to get even more involved in protecting these pink beauties, the Sakura Tree Project help preserve and renew cherry blossoms all over the city.
