High Park cherry blossoms are in full bloom

This weekend, thousands of Torontonians flooded High Park to catch a glimpse of our cherry trees in bloom. Despite the cold and windy weather we endured on Saturday, the bout of humidity we got at the end of last week was enough, and by Sunday every tree in the park was flowering.

In 1959, the Japanese ambassador to Canada gave Torontonians the gift of 2000 Japanese "Somei-Yoshino Sakura" trees. According to the High Park Nature Centre, the trees were planted in appreciation of Toronto accepting re-located Japanese-Canadians following World War II. Throughout the years many more have been planted in this 400-acre-park, and today they can be found all along west pathway and on the hillside overlooking Grenardier Pond.

Every year Torontonians wait in anticipation for the trees to flower, and the first sign of blooms bring in crowds of visitors. It is difficult to predict when and for how long the blooms will last as their season is entirely reliant on the weather; harsh winds and heavy rain could bring the season to an abrupt halt. With meteorologists calling for sunny and warm weather over the next week, be sure to get out to High Park to catch a glimpse of these fleeting beauties.

On Sunday, hundreds of cars idled bumper to bumper along the narrow road, hindered by crowds of people in the busy park. What's more, cars parked illegally along the sides each bore bright yellow parking tickets. Lace up your shoes and bike, walk or take the TTC to the park. High Park lies just outside of High Park Station on the Bloor-Danforth line, and the trees can be seen a hundred yards in from Bloor West. Check out the High Park site to find maps of the park and the pathways.

Also, check out photos of this blissful time of year from years past:
2009 (GTA Tripping: Turning Japanese in High Park)
2008 (In Photos: High Park Cherry Blossoms 2008)
2007 (Blossoms and Shutterbugs in High Park)