With the first days of spring here and the weather warming up, you may be dreaming about one essential Toronto spring activity — seeing the cherry blossoms bloom. Well, the wait is over — the blossoms are expected to hit peak bloom tomorrow!
Sakura Steve (also known as Steve Joniak) visited the buds in High Park this week and noted that the buds appeared to be in late Stage 5 — which is usually just days before peak bloom. Joniak also said about 5 per cent of the flowers have bloomed in High Park, and said that a few more sunny and warm days are all the trees need to hit full bloom.
“I believe we should start to see the full bloom, where at least 75 per cent of the sakura blossoms have opened, starting on April 20 and continuing through the weekend to [April 26],” he noted.
High Park isn’t the first to see the cherry blossoms start blooming — the first blooms in the city appeared to be in front of Robarts Library at U of T, followed by Trinity Bellwoods this week as well.
Once the flowers in High Park reach peak bloom, how long they remain there depends on both the weather and people, according to Joniak.
“Rain and wind will tend to knock down blossoms early, but warm and calmer weather will help the blossoms last longer,” he said.
And as visitors flock to the park to take photos and get up close to the flowers, people pulling branches or shaking trees could shorten the lifespan of the blooms — so just don’t do it!
There are Sakura trees all over Toronto, so we’ve rounded up five of the best places in Toronto to spot the cherry blossoms when peak bloom hits the city. Just like last year, the city of Toronto is restricting vehicle access and parking within High Park for the duration of peak bloom, so prepare to head over on foot or on bike.
High Park
High Park is a staple spot for people to spend time outside, enjoying a walk, picnic and, around this time of year, cherry blossoms! The trees grow along the park’s main path, allowing you to step off the sidewalk and snag a few photos before continuing on your way. Standing at a whopping 399 acres, High Park is chock-full of different rare plant species. Within the grounds are also rare black oak savannah, moist red oak and hemlock forests. So feel free to adventure all over, searching for flowers at different stages of growth!
Trinity Bellwoods
For some of the best cherry blossom photos with the C.N. Tower in the background, head over to Trinity Bellwoods. These trees are placed scarcely, spanning across a 38-acre lot of land. Most of the trees can be found on the circular path, which resides in the southern portion of the park. Around here are benches and copious amounts of shade, allowing you to sit underneath one of these beautiful trees and enjoy Toronto’s incredible spring scene.
Yorkville Park
A bit of a hidden sakura gem, and a personal favourite of mine, is Yorkville Park. The trees are grown in linear succession, placed outside of cafes and fashion boutiques. Here is where you’ll have the best opportunity to sit and relax under the trees with minimal camera attention from strangers. Shops in this area range from large, well-known brands such as Lululemon and Chanel to small boutiques like 119 Corbo and Free People. Feel free to kick back, enjoy a coffee and maybe drop some dough. At least the fit pics afterward will be killer!
Centennial Park
This particular park has the second-largest collection of cherry blossoms in Toronto, next to High Park. The park holds over 200 trees that are scattered across the entirety of the land. The highest concentration can be found in the garden closest to Rathburn Road and Centennial Park Boulevard. The park is home to athletic activities galore. Within its grounds are playgrounds, soccer fields, baseball and softball diamonds, a wading pool and even a BMX bike park!
Exhibition Place
This may surprise some, but cherry blossoms are scattered around one of Toronto’s most fantastic attractions. Exhibition Place features around nine marked sections where sakura grows, with the majority residing in the northeastern part of the area. The highest density can be found near the kid-friendly Medieval Times show or the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex. While searching for sakura, why not check out a Toronto F.C. game?
