The cherry blossom (桜, sakura) is Japan's unofficial national flower. It has been celebrated for many centuries and holds a very prominent position in Japanese culture. There are many dozens of different cherry tree varieties in Japan, most of which bloom for just a few days in spring. The seasonal spectacle is celebrated with hanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties under the trees.
Among the most popular and spectacular spring-flowering trees, flowering
cherries with their frothy masses of pink or white blossoms usually
signal the end of winter and reveal the first blush of spring.
Most cherry tree varieties bloom in spring over a season that usually
lasts several weeks. However, changes in weather conditions may have an
impact on the time of flowering, advancing or delaying the appearance of
the beloved cherry blossoms by several weeks. Generally, the milder the
climate, the earlier the blossoms open.
The cherry blossom season is relatively short. There may be 2 or 3 weeks
between the opening of the first blossom and the shedding of the petals.
Generally, the double flowers last longer than the single ones. Strong
wind and rain can reduce the blooming season even shorter.
Since these pretty cherry blossoms do not last very long, you may want
to select ornamental cherries with multi-season interest. Some flowering
cherries display wonderful fall color, with their foliage warming up to
brilliant shades of gold, red, or orange, before shedding to the ground
and revealing the beauty of their gnarled trunks or the graceful outline
of their branches.
Japan is known around the world for its cherry blossom festivals. Known
as hanami in Japanese, cherry blossom festivals are an important custom
and are held all over Japan during the spring. That said, do not expect
to see the flowers wherever you go, the trees bloom at different times
throughout Japan. If you're planning a trip to the country in the
spring, here's what you need to know about the hanami tradition.
Hanami is the ancient tradition of going to enjoy the blooming of cherry
blossoms (sakura) and sometimes plum blossoms (ume) in parks and
throughout the countryside in Japan. The most popular kind of Japanese
cherry tree, sakura, can be found all over the country. These trees are
also called somei-yoshino trees or yedoensis in botanical circles.
Hanami literally means "viewing flowers", but it generally indicates
cherry blossom viewing. It's said that the origin of hanami dates back
more than a 1,000 years to when aristocrats enjoyed looking at beautiful
cherry blossoms and wrote poems inspired by them.
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