As spring arrives so do cherry blossoms.
For three years now, UBC has been co-hosting the International Cherry Blossom Prediction Competition, pitting scientists against each other in a quest to pick the day cherry blossoms will be at their best.
This year, according to organizers, that day will be earlier than last year by four days; they predict the blooms will peak in the city on April 3.
“Last month was the warmest February on record globally, and in Vancouver, it almost matched a 60-year record – so the April 3 prediction is not surprising,” says UBC organizer Dr. Elizabeth Wolkovich.
The average is getting earlier, she notes, as climate change affects the cherry tree cycles.
It's not like all trees will blossom on the same day; for Vancouver, the specific grove used to decide is a group of Akebono trees in Maple Grove Park in Kerrisdale, located at South West Marine Drive and Yew Street.
The contest looks at five locations globally. Vancouver has the latest expected bloom date predicted for 2024. Other cities included are Washington (March 26) and New York City (April 2) in the U.S., Kyoto in Japan (April 2) and the town of Liestal-Weideli (March 27) outside of Switzerland's capital of Basel.
Locally, the city's annual Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 29 to April 25. New for 2024 is the inaugural (and unrelated) Vancouver Cherry Blossom Food Festival, featuring cherry blossom-themed eats around the region; the self-guided eating tour runs from March 29 to April 28.
