Sakura Watch April 6, 2021 - Cherry Blossom buds continue to develop ahead of schedule
Sakura Watch April 6, 2021 - Cherry Blossom buds continue to develop ahead of schedule, as witnessed during my latest visit to High Park. I had missed a full week of observation due to other projects and the Easter holiday. However, on today's walk, I was happy to see just how much progress has been made! The warm weather we’ve been having has been a great help in continuing to move along the cherry blossom bud development.
The pleasant spring conditions have definitely had a positive impact on the trees. They all seem to have a generous number of well-rounded buds with pink-coloured tips. Even with a few days of colder weather here and there, these brief bursts of cold seemed to have done little to affect the trees. Everywhere I looked, the branches appeared to look very healthy and have numerous blossom buds, promising a magnificent bloom showing for this year.
Watch my latest YouTube update below:
Big Buds, Round Buds, Everywhere!
Even when I ventured further down along Grenadier Pond, I continued to see similar progress on the mature and younger trees. All signs appear to signal that the buds' are getting ready to enter the next stage of development. Here are some close-up photos of the buds showing their rich green bulb shapes and pink coloured tips:
Weather Forecast Indicate Early Bloom!
The real news now of course is that when I compare the current stage of the blossom buds, and estimate their potential progress based on the warmer weather forecast for the rest of April, there are some exciting developments! As long as things go on the current trajectory and remain in the ideal temperature range, the blossom bloom may occur 1 - 2 weeks earlier than usual this year!
So, in a typical year, the trees usually bloom in the first to the second week of May. THIS year, thanks to the warmer weather trends, the bloom may occur during the last week of April! Of course, follow-up visits will determine more exact dates, but things so far are all pointing in that general direction!
Still No Word on Virtual or In-Person Viewing
I’ve watched daily the COVID-19 numbers continue to climb, including the impact of the new variants. We’ve now gone into a ‘shutdown’ and with calls for a proper ‘lock down’, I would guess the viewing will be a virtual one again. However, as of this posting, the fate of how we will view the blossoms is still up in the air. In general, the only way we can reduce the numbers and stop the spread is to avoid having large gatherings and help keep everyone safe. While the risks still remain high, we will have to wait and see what the final decision by the City will be for High Park. Once again, I will keep you updated on this news in the weeks ahead.
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