Latest news with #SakuraProject
CBC
05-05-2025
- General
- CBC
'We just love the beauty of it,' cherry blossom enthusiast says of Waterloo trees
Cherry blossoms growing on the campus of Renison University College in Waterloo attracted some visitors Sunday. Nancy Schnarr, senior communications manager for the college, said the trees were donated as part of the Sakura Project with the Japanese Consul in Toronto.
Ottawa Citizen
02-05-2025
- Ottawa Citizen
Spring in Ottawa is full of pink petals, few from cherry blossoms
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).
BBC News
08-04-2025
- BBC News
First blossom of new Japanese cherry trees in Jersey
Three new Japanese cherry trees in Jersey have blossomed for the first time, a charity says. The trees were gifted by the Embassy of Japan in the UK last November as part of a project to donated over 7,500 sakura trees nationwide. The Sakura Project celebrates Anglo-Japanese Jersey Trees for Life hosted an event on Friday to celebrate the first blossom of the trees planted at Val de la Mare, with 29 people at the first ceremony. The charity's CEO Alex Morel said it was easy to see why Japanese cherry blossoms were so "iconic" and that the trees in the springtime were an "unforgettable sight".She added that she encouraged "all tree enthusiasts and nature lovers to visit" the trees. She added: "We're grateful to our Japanese friends for their generosity and looking forward to seeing the sakura blossom time and time again."
Japan Times
29-01-2025
- Climate
- Japan Times
Cherry blossom season predicted to begin in Tokyo on March 21
Tokyo's cherry blossoms are set to begin blooming on March 21, according to a forecast released Wednesday by private weather company Weathernews. The projection is based on more than 2 million reports from participants in the company's 'Sakura Project,' alongside temperature data, meteorological models and research at major viewing sites. This year's cherry blossom season is expected to align with or slightly precede historical averages in western and eastern Japan. While last year's blooms were delayed in the south of the Kanto region, this most recent forecast suggests a return to normal timing.
