Cherry blossoms will soon bloom once again in Mississauga
Published April 5, 2024 at 12:44 pm
With a stormy mix of weather the past few days in Mississauga and across southern Ontario and today’s temperatures not expected to exceed single digits, chances are not many people are thinking about the annual blooming of cherry blossoms.
But with the weather forecast calling for the days to warm up this weekend into double-digit territory and remain there for the next two weeks and beyond, cherry blossom season in Mississauga and across the GTA isn’t that far off.
Depending on how warm the temperatures get, the cherry blossoms can start to bloom in Mississauga and surrounding areas anywhere from late April, as they did last year, into the middle of May, as they did in 2022.
Some experts predicted last month a mid-April peak bloom this spring given the unseasonably warm weather prior to this week’s more unsettled and in some places wintry conditions.
The flowers are considered to be at peak bloom when they’re about 70 per cent or so opened up.
For the latest predicted bloom times, those interested can visit Sakura Watch, a website that monitors the blooms in Toronto.
Videos
In Mississauga, the blossoms and their ethereal beauty can best be seen at Kariya Park near the city’s downtown core.
Kariya Park, a tranquil Japanese-style greenspace named for Mississauga’s sister city in Japan, is a popular spot each year for people looking to catch glimpses of the blossoms.
Once the blossoms do bloom, they don’t last very long — maybe a week to 10 days. So, people looking to spot them up close should do so quickly after they arrive.
Check out an earlier video of the cherry blossoms at Kariya Park here.
Cherry blossoms have a celebrated history in Japanese art and culture, City of Mississauga officials noted earlier, adding many of the world’s cherry blossom tree varieties come from the Japanese cherry tree (Sakura).
There are some 80 cherry blossom trees in Kariya Park. The delicate flowers, often soft white, blush pink and dark rose, bloom for just a few days.
Outside of Mississauga, people can catch cherry blossom season at High Park in Toronto, Centennial Park in Etobicoke (near Mississauga’s border), Broadacres Park in Etobicoke, Spencer Smith Park and Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington and, a little farther away, in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
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