Cherry blossoms should reach peak bloom soon in Toronto

Cherry blossoms have started to open in Toronto, so peak bloom should happen soon.

On Monday, Sakura Watch noted that the first sakura cherry blossoms began to open in High Park, particularly around the sports fields, near the north entrance of the park.

Thunderstorms that passed through on Tuesday may have torn some of the delicate flowers or buds from the trees. But forecasters are still hopeful for a good season.

Sakura Watch suggests the trees should reach 75 per cent open around May 1 followed by full, peak bloom (90 to 100 per cent) from around May 3 to 9.

On Wednesday, the City of Toronto also said it expects the cherry blossoms to bloom later this week due to rising temperatures. Once they bloom, the blooms tend to last anywhere from four to 10 days, depending on the weather.

The High Park Nature Centre said on April 28, the cherry blossoms were in Stage 4 of the bloom development process. The peduncles or flower stems are getting longer and the individual blossoms can be clearly seen, the nature centre said.

“In a few days, we will be able to predict when peak bloom in High Park will occur,” the centre said.

As cherry blossom season draws crowds, the centre has asked people to watch out for Midland Painted Turtle hatchlings, which emerge this time of year. The hatchlings are tiny and are about the size of a quarter.

To prevent damage to the trees, the City of Toronto asks people not to pull on branches, pluck off blossoms or climb the trees.

While High Park has the largest concentration of cherry blossom trees there are many other, less-crowded spots to view the blooms, including parks, the Exhibition Place grounds and the University of Toronto and York University campuses. You can see more spots here. 

People visiting High Park should note that there will be no vehicle access or parking inside High Park starting Monday, May 5, for the duration of peak bloom. Vehicle access and parking inside High Park is regularly prohibited during the weekends.

TTC Wheel-Trans vehicles can access the park to drop off visitors.