Sakura Watch May 3, 2024 - With only 25% left on trees, cherry blossom season winds down in High Park
Sakura Watch May 3, 2024—With only 25% left on trees, cherry blossom season winds down in High Park. Everywhere I look, I see blossom petals covering the ground like a white blanket around most of the trees. Overall, trees appear to have less than 25% open blossoms on average, with only a few trees still holding onto more and seeming fuller when next to the near-empty ones. But there are many other flowering plants and trees to also enjoy if you want to make a trip to High Park for the final days of the white cherry blossoms. Read on to learn more about each area of High Park…
Getting Around High Park
When visiting High Park, there are four main areas to enjoy the Sakura cherry blossoms, and I have outlined them on my interactive Map and Directions page (link here).
Do note there will be NO vehicle access to the park on weekends and during the bloom, so you will NOT be allowed to drive in and park. Options will be limited to parking along Bloor St all along the park's length or on nearby side streets and paid P parking lots a short distance from the lakeshore and Bloor West Village. I will try to put together a special video and post about this soon.
Please stop damaging the trees
Unfortunately, once again, I found a few more damaged branches, which were broken from obvious pulling down of the branch. Proper etiquette is always important, too, so as not to damage the trees in surrounding areas and wildlife habitats. Please don’t climb the trees, don’t pull, bend, shake or break branches, or climb onto the trees themselves, as all of these things will cause irreversible damage and make the overall sakura hanami enjoyment less for everyone else.
Turtle Hatchlings on Cherry Hill
Also, please be mindful of the little boxes located on the ground throughout Cherry Hill. These boxes help protect the turtle hatchlings from people trampling on them. High Park Nature Centre has some staff on hand to explain more about this, so drop by their table to learn more.
Now, back to the blossoms.
the Sports Fields (by Bloor St Entrance)
The small collection of trees that frame the sports fields showed less than 25% open blossoms. The twin trees that first greet you from the Bloor Street entrance are bare, with a few blossoms scattered amongst the branches. White blossom petals blanket the ground around these trees and are now starting to show leaves. The other trees in the area are mixed with small clusters of blossoms to view here and there, and one tree seems a bit fuller than the others. Here are some more detailed photos from today:
Cherry Hill (by Grenadier Cafe)
Most trees along Cherry Hill are now showing less than 25% open blossoms. There are a few trees that do show more blossoms and appear fuller at both the top and base of the hill, but overall, the trees are showing clusters of blossoms mixed with leaves. An added plus is there are other trees in bloom as well, including Magnolias, which I also included a few pictures of below:
Along Grenadier Pond and By the Dock
Continuing down the path following the edge of Grenadier Pond, the cherry trees have dropped most of their petals and show less than 25% of open blossoms. This area is also blanketed with blossom petals around the trees, with one tree by the dock that is still relatively fuller in comparison. Here are some more detailed photos of this area:
FUgenzo Blossom to bloom soon
Even though the well-known white Yoshino cherry blossoms' main attraction is ending, there is another variety of Japanese cherry blossoms known as Fugezno, which are getting close to blooming. These trees are small in number and located at the bottom of Cherry Hill and closer to the dock, these tend to create much larger, puffier looking flowers that can resemble a stacked carnation. These also tend to be in deep pink and creamy white colours as they bloom. They are also lovely to see as they are another sign that High Park continues to come to life with spring. I will be doing a separate follow-up on these trees next week.
Final Weekend for Yoshino cherry blossoms
Another cherry blossom season comes to a close this weekend. Even though the cherished white flowers have nearly all fallen, there are plenty of other flowering trees and wildlife to enjoy and explore in High Park. Remember to respect the park, the grounds, and the habitats around the trees and trails. It’s always been a true gem in the heart of the City that helps us all get a taste of nature and take a break from the bustling craziness of everyday life, as well as promote a healthy lifestyle both mentally and physically - so why not go out and have some fun!
Lastly, I want to offer my total appreciation and thanks to all of you who watch the videos and follow my updates. Knowing this site helps many of you enjoy the sakura cherry blossom, which makes it all that more worthwhile for me. I hope you all have a great weekend, and I will be back with more updates soon.
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.