Sakura Watch April 17, 2023 - The cherry blossom bloom has begun in High Park! Here is when to expect the full bloom and the best time to see them.
Sakura Watch April 17, 2023 - The cherry blossom bloom has begun in High Park! Here is when to expect the full bloom and the best time to see them. As predicted during my last update, the wonderfully warm and sunny weekend brought out the first blossoms. Even this cold, rainy Monday was brightened with the white blooms scattered amongst the trees signalling that the bloom had begun. Peak bloom, when the trees have reached over 75% of open blossoms is still expected to come later this week - keep reading to learn more.
Watch the Youtube video update below or continue reading further down.
35-45% of blossoms open
Starting near the sports fields, approximately 40-45% of the cherry blossoms were open, with a few trees further behind than the others. However, all trees were well into Stage 5, only days away from full bloom.
Walking toward Cherry Hill, across from Grenadier Cafe, the trees showed less open blossoms at approximately 35-40%. The trees throughout this area were also well into Stage 5 and will likely reach the 75% peak bloom in the latter half of this week.
Here are photos of the blooms in Stages 5 and 6 from today.
Temperatures remain favourable
So how soon will we see a peak bloom, and how long will it last? Looking at the 14-day forecast from The Weather Network (source: TheWeatherNetwork.com), we can see the temperatures over the next few days will be lower than what we've had but should not impact Thursday's peak bloom start.
Rain this weekend will determine whether our sakura hanami is brief or if we can expect to see the bloom stretch into next weekend. If the rains remain light, with only light winds and only a day or two, then the majority of blossoms will remain intact and continue to bloom into the next week. However, if the rains are heavy and/or we get stronger winds, then these conditions tend to knock down the petals of the blossoms earlier, which will shorten the Sakura Hanami time.
The only question now is to see whether the fair weather will continue into the end of the month and allow us an extended Sakura Hanami, or will bursts of rain & wind shorten the viewing time?
Peak bloom begins on April 20
Well, I believe in the power of the Sakura. I remain hopeful and will stick to my prediction of an early High Park peak bloom starting on April 20 and ending on the 28th. So now is a great time to see the bloom's beginnings. But if you really want to get the full impact of the full peak bloom, then plan to go later this week or even the weekend. Just pack an umbrella!
Stay tuned for more details 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
The City of Toronto now accepts donations to help maintain existing trees and plant future ones. See this link for details.
Read more details and information on the City of Toronto - Cherry Blossom Website
Thank you all for visiting the site. Be careful, be safe, and watch for more updates soon.