How to see peak cherry blossom bloom in Toronto

People walk past flowering cherry trees in Centennial Park, in Toronto, Monday, April 22, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)

Toronto’s cherry blossoms are almost ready to bloom, and a new guide has everything you need to know about when and where to take in the popular spring-time sighting.

The High Park Nature Centre has relaunched its “Cherry Blossom Watch” for the 2025 season and said that, as of April 12, the blossoms in the west-end Toronto park are currently in the first stage of the bloom development process.

According to the organization, stage one is the first sign of the “impending arrival” of what’s known as peak bloom, which typically occurs between late April and early May and happens when at least 70 pert cent of the blossoms have opened.

Peak bloom can last anywhere from four to 10 days and is weather dependent, the organization said, adding that cool, calm weather can extend the period while warm, unsettled weather can shorten it.

The actual date of peak bloom ranges and last year it took place on April 22. Peak bloom in High Park has occurred between April 20 and May 10 over last few years.

“Cherry Blossom season is a magical and popular experience for Torontonians,” the High Park Nature Centre’s acting executive director Rohith Rao said in a news release. “Cherry Blossom Watch is one of the many ways we promote awareness and respect for nature and build stronger, lasting connections between people and the natural world around them.”

The nature centre said that, at this point, it’s too early to make a definitive prediction of when peak bloom will occur.

Cherry Blossoms, or Sakura trees, aren’t indigenous to Toronto and were first planted in High Park more than 60 years ago.

According to the city, then Japanese ambassador to Canada, Toru-Hagiwara, presented 2,000 Japanese Somei-Yoshino Sakura trees to the citizens of Toronto on behalf of the citizens of Tokyo in 1959. The trees were planted in appreciation of Toronto accepting re-located Japanese-Canadians following the Second World War.

High Park is one of many locations in the city where nature-goers can view peak bloom. Cherry blossom trees are also located in Trinity Bellwoods Park, Woodbine Park, and Cedarvale Park, among others. The City of Toronto has also mapped out a full list of where to view cherry blossoms across the city online.

The city is reminding those looking to view the blossoms to refrain from climbing the trees, pulling their branches and plucking off the blooms as it can cause damage.

The High Park Nature Centre said it will continue to update its cherry blossom tracker leading up to peak bloom.