Spring in Ottawa is full of pink petals, few from cherry blossoms

Ottawa Citizen

02-05-2025

When the first flush of pink sweeps Prince of Wales Drive in May, visitors to Dominion Arboretum could be forgiven for thinking cherry blossom season has arrived.
Article content
Article content
The colour and timing do a convincing impression of sakura, the cherry trees that veil Japan each spring in delicate petals.
Article content
In reality, few cherry blossoms grow in Ottawa. Instead, many of the flowers people stop to admire this time of year could be described as lookalikes better suited to the climate.
Article content
Article content
'A lot of trees in the region that may appear to be cherry blossoms are actually crabapple blossoms,' said Akiko Yamasaki, director of the Information and Culture Centre at the Embassy of Japan in Ottawa.
Article content
Article content
True cherry trees are planted near Dow's Lake, lining Confederation Park, and on the lawn at Major's Hill, among other urban green spaces. A collection also grows on the grounds of the Japanese Ambassador's residence, though that is off-limits to the public.
Article content
Many of the trees were first planted in 1992 as part of the Sakura Project, a gift from Japan to mark the 125th anniversary of Canadian Confederation. Led by then-ambassador Michio Mizoguchi, the initiative brought around 60 North Japanese hill cherry trees to Ottawa. More were added in 1999 to mark 70 years of diplomatic relations.
Article content
'The trees in Ottawa symbolize the friendship between Japan and Canada,' Yamasaki said.
Article content
Article content
Ottawa weather can be hard on flowering trees. Ornamental varieties originating in temperate zones often falter in spring frost and struggle to adapt to conditions in the National Capital Region.
Article content
Article content
The Arboretum owes its existence to the region's climate. Established in 1889 as a division of the Central Experimental Farm, it was created to test which trees and shrubs could withstand Ottawa's temperature swings.
Article content
Article content
'Some plants were picked for practical reasons, shade, fruit (and) erosion control,' said Eric Jones, project director with Friends of the Farm, a volunteer organization that helps tend to the Arboretum. 'Others were picked for aesthetics.'
Article content
'They were developed at the Experimental Farm by Isabella Preston in the early 1900s,' said Jones. 'She created the 'Rosybloom' crabapples for the Prairies, so they'd be tough enough to survive the cold.'
Article content
The Rosybloom line includes more than twenty cultivars, most named for Canadian lakes. Hardy, insect-pollinated, and frost-tolerant, they became a spring fixture throughout the Farm (especially along Prince of Wales).