Botanic gardens in first flush of pink
CHERRIES have blossomed at Shanghai Botanical Garden in Xuhui District, nearly one month earlier than usual, and the earliest blooming for about 20 years.
“The warm, mild weather this winter, plus abundant rainfall, is the reason for the early flowering,” said Ge Weijia of the garden.
When the temperature rises above 5 degrees Celsius for about 10 days, early blooming cherry varieties will wake up and flower, she said.
The earliest cherry blossom flowered at the gardens toward the end of last month.
Some bellflower cherries, one of the earliest blooming and the major cherry blossom in Shanghai, also flowered during the Spring Festival holiday. The cherry, native to Taiwan, Fujian and Guangdong, usually flowers in late February or early March.
At Chenshan Botanical Garden in Songjiang District, cherry trees have also bloomed.
“If the weather conditions continue, the flowering time of other cherry species will also be advanced by one to two weeks,” Ge said.
The Kawazu-zakura cherry blossom, another popular cherry blossom in Shanghai, is expected to flower in late February. Chenshan Botanical Garden has a 550-meter boulevard of the flower, creating a dream-like pink tunnel.