Sakura Watch March 23, 2023 - I'm back with the first update to kick off the 2023 cherry blossom season. I made a quick visit at the beginning of March and a follow-up visit earlier this week. This offers a great comparison of the progress achieved in the last few weeks considering the weather roller coaster between snow, rain, and warm and cold conditions.

Watch the Youtube video update below or continue reading further down.

Early March

My first visit was actually at the beginning of March, a day before the heavy snowfall hit the GTA. At the time the buds have already been well into development thanks to the milder winter weather we’ve had over the last few months.

Here are some photos from the beginning of the month:

later march

With very mild weather returning earlier this week I found it to be the perfect time to get a nice walk in the park with the dogs and see how much progress was actually done in the few weeks. Though I could definitely see the buds have gotten larger and rounder, they are still in the earlier stages, which is exactly what I would expect to see at this time of year.

The other plus was in general the buds do seem to be plentiful and healthy overall on the trees, which are good signs of a nice bloom to be expected this year. However, it is notable that more of the original trees have had to be trimmed and cut due to their age and help them survive for at least a few more years. Many younger trees have been planted along Chery Hill and seem to be holding their own quite well, so eventually, when they mature, they will become the new trees to look forward to in the years to come.

Here are some photos showing the progress from earlier this week:

early prediction

Of course, this is early and preliminary, but the progress is on track with a typical bloom period between the end of April and early May.

I’ll watch the weather closely in the weeks ahead to see if we continue to get warmer weather or if we can expect a few last blasts of winter. Either way, stay tuned for more visits and follow-up updates!

Do Your Part to Help the Trees from Damage

As much fun as it is to get up close to enjoy the cherry blossoms truly, there are some who take it a bit too far and cause damage to the tree that can lead to irreparable harm so the trees can not protect themselves from insects and disease and eventually die. This leaves us with less mature trees to enjoy, so please, if you really want to enjoy the blossoms for many years to come, you need to do your part to help protect the trees and prevent any harm to them:

• Don’t pick or break off any blossoms

• Don’t pull down, shake or break off the branches

• Don’t climb, sit or stand on the trunks or branches - the mature trees are very old and not strong enough to support the weight and stress of people, even small children!

• Don’t leave any litter IN or around the trees - it’s so sad to see people putting their garbage in the hollow trunks of the older trees, which invites animals and other insects to nest inside and cause internal damage.

• DO take photos without harming the trees

• DO enjoy the blossoms and respect their immediate surroundings

• DO remember that respecting the trees from root to branch will help everyone to enjoy the blooming trees for many years to come

Donate to Support The Cherry Blossoms

New for 2022, the City of Toronto has launched a donation campaign to allow anyone to donate funds to help maintain existing trees and plant future ones. See this link for details. Read more details and information posted here and on the City of Toronto website.

City of Toronto - Cherry Blossom Website

Thank you all for visiting the site. Be careful, be safe, and watch for more updates soon.