Sakura Watch May 1, 2025 - Full Bloom begins, with trees reaching 75% open blossoms in High Park today! As predicted, the sakura cherry blossoms have started to reach Full Bloom in the park, though some areas remain in Late Stage 5. The weather plays a significant role, and the multiple cloudy and rainy days have slowed down the progress by the pond and zoo; however, a few warmer and sunnier days ahead should help kick things off for the entire park for the first May weekend. So now the race is on to see how qukcly we will reach Peak Bloom (spoilers, some trees already have), and then how a rainy forecast for next week will impact the blooming dates. Let’s jump right into it below.

Watch the YouTube video update below.

75-90% at the Sports fields

Let's start at the Sports fields by the Bloor St entrance, where the trees are well into Full Bloom, including the 2 large trees closest to the roadway, which are already in Peak Bloom (meaning these trees are showing 90% or more of open blossoms). Some trees have closed sakura cherry blossoms, as seen in the one photo below, but is only really the one tree furthest down the right side of the fields. ,But overall, the other trees along the side are near or just above 75%, so this is a great spot to visit. Here are some images showing off the Sports fields today:

75-90% on Cherry Hill

Next, we move on to Cherry Hill, where the most extensive collection of trees is located. Always a favourite Sakura Hanami spot, the trees nearest Grenadier Café at the top of the hill have moved even further into Peak Bloom territory, with most trees showing at least 90% of open blossoms. This is where you find one of the large, older original trees, along with a number of smaller, very plentiful, younger trees. The interesting part is the mix of other trees in the area, which are only at Full Bloom, with only about 75% of open blossoms as of today's visit. As you traverse down the hill, the trend continues the closer you get to Grenadier Pond, where the trees show only about 65-70% of open blossoms or less. Here are some photos showing off Cherry Hill today:

Less than 50% by Grenadier Pond and the Dock

Continuing down the path that winds around Grenadier Pond and the Dock, you notice a significant change, as these trees are mostly still only in Late Stage 5. This could be due to their proximity to the cooler breezes off Lake Ontario, which would have slowed the progress. As of today, I would guess they are about a day or two behind in opening up. But these are very close and should be hitting Full Bloom by this weekend. Here are some photos by the pond today:

Less than 25% by the High Park Zoo and Adventure Playground

Our last stop is on the other side of High Park, near the Zoo and Adventure Playground. The trees in this area typically bloom 2-3 days behind the rest of the park, and as seen today, they are holding on to that tradition by remaining in mid-to-late Stage 5. Warmer, sunnier weather over the next couple of days should also help them begin opening up by this weekend. As evidenced by these photos, they are primed, ready, and just waiting for Mother Nature to give them the ‘go-ahead’ signal.

My Bloom Prediction

Thankfully, the thunderstorms and rain of this past week have had little impact on the trees. This proves that the sakura cherry blossoms can be resilient when they open up. Let’s hope the weather will be calmer and fair over the next week, although I do see rain forecast, which can change as we get past this first weekend in May.

Now that the Full Bloom has begun, my sights are set on the beginning of the Peak Bloom, when trees are at 90-100%. I still predict it will commence on May 3rd and last until about May 9th. Of course, I’ll be watching for any potential weather issues that could either shorten or lengthen these dates. The best way to know is to watch for more updates soon!

Do Your Part to Help the Trees from Damage

As much fun as it is to get up close to enjoy the cherry blossoms truly, there are some who take it a bit too far and cause damage to the tree that can lead to irreparable harm so the trees can not protect themselves from insects and disease and eventually die. This leaves us with less mature trees to enjoy, so please, if you really want to enjoy the blossoms for many years to come, you need to do your part to help protect the trees and prevent any harm to them:

Don’t pick or break off any blossoms
Don’t pull down, shake or break off the branches
Don’t climb, sit or stand on the trunks or branches - the mature trees are very old and not strong enough to support the weight and stress of people, even small children!
Don’t leave any litter IN or around the trees - it’s so sad to see people putting their garbage in the hollow trunks of the older trees, which invites animals and other insects to nest inside and cause internal damage.
DO take photos without harming the trees
DO enjoy the blossoms and respect their immediate surroundings
DO remember that respecting the trees from root to branch will help everyone to enjoy the blooming trees for many years to come

Donate to Support The Cherry Blossoms

The City of Toronto now accepts donations to help maintain existing trees and plant future ones. See this link for details.
Read more details and information on the City of Toronto - Cherry Blossom Website

Thank you all for visiting the site. Be careful, be safe, and watch for more updates soon.

Sakura Watch May 1, 2025 - Full Bloom begins, with trees reaching 75% open blossoms in High Park today!