Cherry blossoms are blooming across Hamilton. Go see them before they're gone

Pink, white and impossibly delicate, cherry blossoms have erupted across Hamilton — but they won't be here for long.

A sure sign of spring, the ornamental flowers always draw crowds of admirers and selfie-seekers hoping to capture a bit of their fleeting beauty.

Right now they're at peak bloom.

"The flowers are very short-lived. It's beautiful and then it's gone," explained Patricia Simpson, president of the Hamilton chapter of the National Association for Japanese Canadians.

The symbol of Japan offers a lesson as well as beauty, she added.

"You have to seize the moment because if you don't, tomorrow they're gone," Simpson said. "It's a metaphor for life."

A beautiful gift

Families flocked to the flowers Sunday, posing for photos and gently pulling down branches to smell their fragrance.

Angeline Chua was there with three generations of her family, from her daughter Zoey to her parents-in-law.

They were drawn to the blossoms at Bayfront Park after being cooped up during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.

"We have a beautiful stretch to take some pictures," said Chua, motioning at the blossom-heavy branches behind her.

The trees were a gift from Japan, she added. "This is wonderful to share peace between countries."

Many of the cherry trees that bring so much colour and joy to Ontario were donated by through something called the Sakura Project.

It saw 3,082 trees planted at 58 locations from schools and research sites to public parks and care facilities across the province before it ended in September 2012.

Launched by the Consulate-General of Japan in Toronto, the goal of the project was to promote understanding between Japan and Canada.

"The Japanese hold tremendous affection for Sakura, its beauty being a source of a great deal of national pride," read a statement shared when it came to a close.

A "beloved sign of spring," the Japanese tradition of holding Sakura viewing while enjoying a picnic, has since caught on in Ontario too, it added.

Alex Henderson said his mom likes to tell an "embarrassing" story about parking his pram (stroller) under a cherry tree.

"Apparently one of the first words I learned to say as a kid was 'blossom,'" said the curator of living collections at the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG).

"I guess I must have gotten into the right job," he joked.

Cherry blossoms can be found in at the RBG's Arboretum, Rock and Laking gardens as well as Gage Park and Centennial Park in Dundas and other sites scattered across the area.

The twin rows of flowering trees at Bayfront Park are marking the 20th anniversary since city councillor voted to accept them as a gift in 2002.

After they bloom, the blossoms only last five to 10 days, Henderson said.

Food for pollinators and a sign of spring

As one of the earliest trees to flower, they play an important role for insects and other pollinators too.

"If you lie down under the trees all you can hear is buzzing and clouds of bees doing all the pollinating," said Henderson.

The flowers have an impact on people too.

"I just think it's the first harbinger of summer after we've gone through such long winters here," the curator added.

The RBG is home to two "sister collections" of cherry trees, with probably 15 different species between them, according to Henderson.

The older sisters were planted in the 1960s and 70s, while the younger siblings were added around 2010 as part of the Sakura project.

"Cherry trees, in tree terms, are very short-lived," explained Henderson. "They only have roughly the lifespan of a human being."

They may only be around for a short while, but the curator pointed out that even when the petals fall they leave behind a colourful blanked that covers the ground.

"It's one of nature's spectacular things," he said. "It's just incredibly beautiful."