Sakura Watch, April 17, 2019 - All blossom buds now have green tips throughout High Park which means the trees are well into the second stages of development. The shape and overall health of the buds are also excellent indicators that the next stages shouldn’t be too far behind.

Watch the latest YouTube video update below:

Warm Wet Weather

Thanks to a few warm and sunny days, the progress of the trees are so far what I would expect to see at this time of year. With the buds vibrant colours and well-rounded shapes, I would like to see them move along to the next stages over the next week. Currently, the forecast is calling for lots of rain and double-digit temperatures to close out April. The temperatures are all in a more stable and consistent range, which will help maintain the current pace of development.

See the photo gallery from today’s visit:

Lots of buds may mean lots of blossoms

One other noteworthy mention is that this year there are A LOT of great looking buds on the trees. This bodes well for a fantastic display of cherry blossoms when they finally do bloom. This would be quite a fitting way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the sakura cherry blossoms in High Park.

So for now, we continue to be on track for possible bloom at the end of April or early May. Excessive rain may push things back into May, but more sunny days could keep things on target - time and more visits will tell! Watch for more frequent updates to start next week and wish you all a Happy Easter Weekend!