Cherry Blossom Trees

April 13, 2021May 17, 2023
Broadleaf tree, Flora and Fauna
by dhir

All photos taken by the author. Last updated April 13, 2021.

Not yet in full bloom, this cherry blossom tree in an urban park is a welcome spring sight.

Ah, cherry blossom season. That magical time of year when reddish brown branches explode in snowy pinks and whites before the green leaves start to unfurl. I find great joy in mentally keeping track of which trees are blooming and which are still waiting for the right amount of light and warmth. Yes, too much free time, I know. Most of the trees closest to my house are still covered only in unopened red buds. Japan, however, has experienced its “earliest peak since 812“.

Cherry blossom flowers grow in clusters, with the ones I observed having each blossom opening at slightly different times.

When not in bloom, you can learn to identify cherry trees by their bark. Younger cherry trees have smooth shiny red bark that peels in horizontal strips. Older trees can have brown or grey lichen-covered bark. All cherry trees have lenticels, horizontal stripes that function in gas exchange. (More bark pictures below)

This cherry blossom has seven petals, five large and two smaller pointing up. Cherry blossom petals have notches in the tips. I found it interesting that from far away the tree looks pink, but the front of the flowers are all white.

The back of a cherry blossom having fallen from the tree. The sepals are mixed light green and dark pink.

Cherry tree bark in considered “smooth” and has visible horizontal stripes called lenticels.

The shiny reddish brown bark of the upper branches of a tree. Notice the horizontal lenticels, which function in gas exchange.

Ornamental plum trees look very similar to cherry trees, but once you know what to look for it is easy to tell the beautiful flowering trees apart. To learn which is which, check out this page from the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival website.

For information about the many cultivars of ornamental cherry trees, where to find them, and the best time to see them blooming, also check out the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival website.

So, go outside and enjoy looking at flowering trees. Each tree blooms for a short time then the petals and blossoms gracefully flutter to the ground, covering sidewalks and cars with biological pink snow.