Cherry blossom – or sakura – season in Tokyo, Japan is truly a magical experience. Thousands of trees burst into bloom, dousing the streets with stunning shades of pink. The flowers are a national obsession and people flock to parks to hold hanami (picnic) parties. Often featuring food, drinks, and social gatherings, these parties take place in parks and gardens to celebrate the short-lived, beautiful blossoms.
Vancouver is arguably the cherry blossom capital of Canada, home to more than 40,000 cherry trees planted across the city beginning to blossom early March to May. In 1925, the mayors of Kobe and Yokohama presented the Vancouver Park Board with five hundred trees of the Ojochin variety for planting at the cenotaph in Stanley Park, in honour of Japanese Canadian veterans of WWI.
In 1958, three hundred more cherry trees were donated by the Japanese consul as a symbol of friendship between Canada and Japan. These trees were soon planted along Cambie Boulevard, between 49th and 33rd Avenues, in Queen Elizabeth Park, and around the cenotaph in Stanley Park. 2025 marked a century since the historic introduction of the Ojochin tree to Vancouver. Over the past hundred years, cherry trees have enticed and enamoured locals and visitors alike; their significance to the city’s arboricultural, cultural, and social landscapes is abundant. Queen Elizabeth Park would be the best place to see the blossoms if you are restricted on time visiting Vancouver.
Generally, late April to early May is the best time to see these blossoms in Ontario. As they only blossom for a week or two at best, it would be wise to check online when optimum dates would be. Places to visit in Toronto include High Park which has approximately 2,000 trees and is extremely popular so walking, cycling or using the subway is highly recommended.
With almost 500 trees, Centennial Park in Etobicoke is home to the second-largest cherry blossom tree collection in Ontario.
Named in honour of Kariya, Mississauga’s sister city in central Japan, Kariya Park is a serene Japanese-inspired garden featuring a pond, boardwalk, pavilion and a beautiful grove of over 300 cherry blossom trees.
Trinity Bellwoods Park (Toronto): Features roughly 70 Sakura trees with iconic views of the CN Tower.
Exhibition Place (Toronto): A quieter spot with a significant canopy of cherry trees near the Princes’ Gate and Princess Margaret Fountain.
University of Toronto (St. George & Scarborough): Several, including a large cluster on Arboretum Lane at the Keele campus and near Robarts Library.
Outside of Toronto is the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington/Hamilton area which features a large collection of tress located south of the lilac dell and the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens in Niagara Falls where cherry trees bloom in mid to late May near the entrance. Shakespearean Gardens in Stratford, Spencer Smith Park in Burlington are other spots.
Top contender in the U.S.A. is The International Cherry Blossom Festival is held in Macon, Georgia, every spring. Macon, known as the “Cherry Blossom Capital of the World,” has around 300,000–350,000 Yoshino Cherry Trees that bloom around the city in late March every year.
REFLECTIONS OF A SWAMPER 