Blooming Now — Read the latest updates on cherry blossoms, including blooming dates, prime locations, and tips for capturing stunning photos. Follow our cherry scouts, as we share firsthand insights and ensures you never miss a moment of the blossoms’ beauty. Whether you’re planning a visit or simply admiring from afar, this page is your go-to resource for all things cherry blossoms.
Latest Updates
December 15, 2024. These are winter cherries, ‘Autumnalis Rosea’, either the same or a very close relative to what the Japanese call ‘Jugatsu-zakura’, “cherry of the 10th month”. It is still 2024, but these are kicking off the new year. Thanks for Shirley Willard for the photo from Richmond, and Lisa Lennie for the one from Victoria. These blossoms are very small, no more than 2 cm in diameter, smaller than they appear here.
You can find the new 2014 enlarged edition of the indispensable guide to Ornamental Cherries in Vancouver, written by Douglas Justice, Associate Director & Curator of Collections at UBC Botanical Garden. Purchase the full eBook version here on our Shop.
International Cherry Blossom Prediction Competition
Submissions are in from the international prediction competition, “When will the cherry trees bloom in 2024?”. The predicted date for ‘Akebono’ trees studied from Vancouver (Maple Grove Park in Kerrisdale) was April 3, just four days earlier than last year’s peak bloom. You can read about the predictions at https://competition.statistics.gmu.edu/.
Some of our festival favourite photo-op locations were shown here during the bloom season with current year photos and the approximate blooming dates. Red markers on our festival map show all our favourite locations. When we talk about Festival Favourites, we mean you will be happy you made the trip to see them to photograph them. When you’re there, remember the neighbours:
1) do not climb the trees 2) do not break the branches 3) be respectful of the residents who live on the street 4) do not stop in the middle of the street 5) keep your visit to a max of 15mins (cause really, how long does it take to snap a few photos?) 6) stay on city property, do not go on private property 7) try to stay off the grass, especially if you are wearing heels. Mostly – be respectful to the environment and the residents. Remember that it is the residents who are responsible for caring for those trees.
Learn How to Take Cherry Blossom Photos with your phone thanks to Cakewalk Media for the tips!