Sakura Watch April 23, 2026 - Blossom buds move to Stage 5, and we may see earlier bloom in High Park.
Sakura Watch April 23, 2026 - Blossom buds move to Stage 5, and we may see earlier bloom in High Park. It started as an early-morning event, with the Indigenous Land Stewardship Circle kicking off the annual Prescribed Burn (Biinaakzigewok Anishnaabeg) in High Park. The burn is a controlled fire that is a time-honoured practice for managing and maintaining the land and habitat around the Black Oak Savannah trees, helping remove unwanted growth while supporting and promoting rare native plants that respond positively to the burning ritual. I plan on doing a dedicated video on this topic soon. But the big news today is that the sakura cherry blossom trees have moved into Stage 5, which means we may see the bloom a bit earlier then predicted! Read more below and watch the video to see my latest visit.
Watch the YouTube video update below.
Buds move to stage 5
Once again, thanks to the warmer weather we’ve been having, the sakura cherry blossom trees throughout High Park are progressing into Stage 5. This stage is when you can distinctly see that each of the floret stems, known as peduncles, has visibly extended out of the buds. You can also begin to see the florets showing bright pink and/or white tips. These tips are what the actual cherry blossom petals will be once they are ready to open.
The trees atop Cherry Hill seem to be the furthest along at the moment, with the Sportsfields about a day or two behind. The trees along Grenadier Pond and the dock are a few days behind, but the trees by the playground and zoo are the slowest and are still only in Stages 3 & 4. Here are a few photos from what I saw this weekend:
Prescribed Burn
As I mentioned in my introduction, this was my first time witnessing the Prescribed Burn in High Park. The City of Toronto, in partnership with the Indigenous Land Stewardship Circle, conducted its annual traditional and prescribed burn (Biinaakzigewok Anishnaabeg) in High Park and Lambton Park. Named by Elder Henry Pitawanakwat, Biinaakzigewok Anishnaabeg means “the responsibility for a cleansing fire by all Native Peoples” in Anishinaabemowin. This controlled burning technique is part of the City’s plan to restore rare Black Oak woodlands and savannahs. Fire-dependent ecosystems, like Black Oak savannahs, support unique prairie plants that thrive after burning. During the burn, the park was closed off in sections where the burn occurred, and every safety precaution was taken to ensure no animals or people were in any danger. A sweep is done of each area before burning starts to help temporarily relocate any animals to safety during the burn. I plan on creating a dedicated video on this topic soon. You can also read more details on this here - http://toronto.ca/prescribedburn
Bloom earlier than prediction - maybe
As the forecast continues to change, so do the exact blooming dates for High Park. With a few cooler, rainy days set for Friday and Saturday, this will stall the trees’ progress. Then we get back to mid-teen temperatures next week, which will propel the cherry blossom buds to get back on track. Originally, I had predicted the bloom would occur towards the very end of April and into early May. I now predict the first blossoms will begin to open by this coming Monday. The full bloom, when the trees reach at least 70% of open blossoms, should start around April 28. The peak bloom, when the trees are at least 90% open, will begin at the end of April and into the early May weekend. All of this depends largely on the ideal conditions of sun and warmth to stay in place over the next week.
I’ll be going back this weekend and early next week to confirm the dates and status, so stay tuned 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.