Residents in Burlington and Hamilton looking to catch the seasonal cherry blossoms are entering their final window of opportunity as the Royal Botanical Gardens shifts its Flowering Cherry Collection status to “last chance.” While cool temperatures have helped the blooms last longer than usual this year, the flowers are now nearing the end of their cycle.
The garden notes that while peak bloom has passed, varieties such as the Akebono are expected to hold through the coming weekend, weather permitting. This year’s bloom arrived slightly later than in 2025, when the flowers reached their peak on April 28. Historically, bloom times at the gardens have varied significantly, with peak dates over the last 18 years ranging from as early as April 4 to as late as May 14.
Visitors can view these trees at the gardens’ Arboretum and Rock Garden locations. The collection includes 34 trees donated in 2010 through the Sakura Project, which honors the Japanese cultural tradition of hanami, or flower viewing. Additionally, the Arboretum features a prominent circle of Prunus Accolade trees that have been part of the landscape since 1966.
As Canada‘s largest botanical garden, the facility spans across both Burlington and Hamilton. Beyond the cherry blossoms, the grounds feature 130 acres of cultivated gardens and over 242,000 individual plants for the public to explore.
