Sakura Watch, March 13, 2025 – I return with my first visit to High Park this year
Sakura Watch, March 13, 2025 – I return with my first visit to High Park this year on a beautiful mild and sunny spring day. Though there are still signs of winter snow visible here and there, and Grenedier Pond continues to be frozen over, the milder above seasonal temperatures as of late have helped to remind that spring is just around the corner!
Watch the Youtube video update below.
New trees planted throughout the Park
I was pleasantly surprised to see many new cherry blossom trees planted throughout the key areas of the park. A protective fence surrounds each, showing strong and healthy growth of many blossom buds. My only concern is that in recent years other such young trees had been pulled, broken and damaged by selfishly stupid (yes, I believe these words are best suited to these individuals) people who don’t have any common sense not to touch the treess, break branches or otherwise damage them by shaking and pulling on them for photo ops or take home souveneirs. Some of the more mature trees are in their final years, with even a few more I could see this year. They have come to their end of life and will no longer bloom. We must respect the newly planted trees and let them grow to their full potential so they can one day replace the beauty we lost with new blooms in the years ahead–please don’t touch, pull or otherwise damage these young trees as YOU will be the ones ruining the chance for future blossoms to bloom.
Buds appear Healthy and plentiful
On a brighter note, the blossom buds all look very healthy and are plentiful on all the trees still capable of producing them. As noted above, more than a few older trees on Cherry Hill are damaged beyond saving or barely any branches left, a not so subtle reminder of how fragile and quick the years may pass us all by! I remember my first time experiencing the peak bloom nearly 20 years ago. Trees in full bloom lined both sides of the path almost down to the pond almost as if they were low hanging clouds of white and pink floating above my head, catching the sunlight translucenlty through their delicate petals and hearing the sound of a the light breeze gently swaying the branches (if I can find photos from them, I will share them in a future post). Here are a few pictures from today:
The 2025 Sakura Season has officially begun!
So here we go again with a new journey on the way to a full bloom of the sakura cherry blossoms for spring 2025. Thanks to our more normal winter this year, the schedule for this year’s bloom should be in line with the typical time of late April into early May. Of course that prediction always comes with a giant IF - if the weather turns up the heat, we can see it earlier, but if the cold snaps return, or worse, a polar vortex event, that could push out the bloom dates later into May.
But for now, the early prediction is that we will be on track for a typical bloom from late April to early May in High Park.
More visits in the weeks ahead will help shed more clues and signs of when the actual bloom will begin. So follow me along as we start our weekly visits and watch for new 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.