The Annual Cherry Blossom Festival gets under way this April, but that does not mean that you have to wait until then to enjoy these spectacular trees in bloom. Some of the trees are beginning to bloom quite nicely as many have actually started to show off their pink and whites during the middle of January.
As of this date (March 18th) and under gloriously Sunny skies, some of the blossoms in the West End, notably along Jervis St and Beach Avenue are already reaching full bloom on either sides of the streets, and if the weather holds up like this for a few more days, we can expect to see more signs of the mass awakening that is Spring in the city.
The link below is an interactive map that you can scroll your mouse over, so you can specifically pick and choose the area you will be in and what kind of tree is there.
http://www.vcbf.ca/maps/Map.html
The festival is a great appreciation of these majestic trees, and if you go and check out their official Webpage page, you will be able to track the progress of these trees at their locations all over the city. Some of the best places to see them are in the West End, Kitsilano and at The Burrard Street Sky train station – at this location, once these trees are fully blooming you find yourself under a canopy of startling bright pink and whites, a stunning welcome in the heart of Vancouver.
See the listings below for more events regarding the festival and for further reading on the blossoms.
http://www.tourismvancouver.com/do/explore/sightseeing/cherry_blossoms/
These are the 5 best spots to view the blossoms….
http://www.insidevancouver.ca/2012/03/17/the-5-best-spots-to-view-cherry-blossoms-now/
And if you really want to get serious about plants and more, look no further than Queen Elizabeth Park and The UBC Botanical Gardens.
http://vancouver.ca/parks-recreation-culture/queen-elizabeth-park.aspx
