Pink ‘clouds’ herald the arrival of spring
DESPITE the chilly weather, the early cherry blossoms at Chenshan Botanical Garden are welcoming spring.
After the early blooming of the cold cherry and bellflower cherry, the Kawazu trees along the garden’s thoroughfare have now started to display pink “clouds,” heralding the arrival of spring.
Phenological observations show that the Kawazu cherry buds emerged on January 16, the earliest ever documented. This coincided with a considerable warm-up in midJanuary.
A subsequent period of extremely cold weather hindered the growth of the cherry buds.
Meteorological statistics show that the average temperature in January was only 5.9°C, the lowest in six years.
The weather has been cold and rainy since the beginning of February. However, a considerable warm-up during the Lunar New Year holiday caused the first Kawazu cherry to blossom around February 13.
Another significant temperature rise around the Rain Water solar term accelerated the blooming process of the Kawazu cherry.
From bud scale cracking to peduncle elongation and then petal coloration, this process took less than 10 days, aligning this year’s early flowering time with 2020 and making it the second earliest recorded since the introduction of these cherries to Chenshan.
The unpredictable weather of the Rain Water solar term has once again slowed the pace of spring because the Kawazu cherry’s full bloom depends on temperature and sunlight.
Early March is the optimal time to view the Kawazu cherry blossoms, according to meteorological forecasts.
Cherry blossoms, known for their fragile look and short lifespan, provide metropolitan visitors with a momentary glimpse of natural beauty as well as a pinkish, romantic spectacle.