If you’ve been waiting to see those famous cherry blossoms, now is your chance! The flowers have been blooming in Toronto, and with summer fast approaching, the petals have already started to fall.
The stunning pink flowers bloom at different times each year depending on the weather, but always in spring. They’ve bloomed as early as April 10 and as late as May 10 over the past decade, with this year’s bloom one of the latest the city has seen. But now that they’re ready to enjoy, they won’t last forever, so squeeze in one last visit to enjoy them! Here are five of the best places in Toronto to spot the cherry blossoms.
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? They will be facing off against FC Cincinnati during the expected blossoming dates.