Crowds flock to Toronto's High Park as cherry blossoms peak

Crowds flocked to Toronto’s High Park Thursday to take in the cherry blossom, or sakura, trees while they're in "peak" blossom season.

Known as hanami in Japan, the centuries-old tradition of flower viewing attracts hundreds of Toronto residents, with blossoms typically lasting four to 10 days, depending on the weather.

On Tuesday afternoon, Toronto Mayor John Tory announced on Twitter the trees were officially in “peak blossom” season and encouraged residents to enjoy the views.

Not long after, on Tuesday evening, crowds could be seen milling about the area, snapping photos and taking in the views. On Wednesday morning, crowds began to accumulate again as early as 7:30 a.m. On both days, there was a police presence at the park.

People gather to view the High Park cherry blossoms on May 4th, 2022. (Abby Neufeld/CTV News Toronto)

The trees in High Park are primarily located on the west side of the park, near Grenadier Pond, where 50 were planted between 2017 and 2018. There is no vehicle access to this area.

High Park isn’t the only place where cherry blossom trees can be viewed in Toronto – they can be found at Trinity Bellwoods Park, Woodbine Park and at the Japanese Cultural Centre — among others. To view a full list of Sakura tree locations in the city, click here.

For those who can’t make it in person, the city runs a livestream of the High Park blossoms. 

High Park cherry blossoms. (Abby Neufeld/CTV News Toronto)