Cherry Blossoms in Atok, Benguet are yet to fully bloom

The Cherry Blossom trees in Sakura Park in Paoay, Atok were planted in 2016 and given by the Japanese government of Kochi Prefecture in celebration of its 40 years of friendship with Benguet province.

And to set clear expectations, Philip John Haight, the custodian of the park, has mentioned in an interview that news circulating online about the Sakura trees being in full bloom were untrue.

Things to know about Cherry Blossom Trees

1. A mature tree takes ten (10) years to regularly bloom.
2. The blossoming season for mature trees commonly takes place in April and each tree may bloom for up to a week or two only.
3. The blooming time of trees depends also on the weather. If the weather is mild months before the cherry blossom season, the blossoms will open early. However, if it’s cold, they will open later.

Cherry Blossoms in Sakura Park

Knowing these things about cherry blossom trees, visitors should understand that those planted in Sakura Park do blossom but are not yet in their optimum maturity level. In fact, they might still need two to three more years.

So if you’re planning to visit Sakura Park, otherwise known as the Benguet-Kochi Sisterhood Park, know that you may only see a few blossoms. However, this is not a reason not to enjoy the place because there’s still a lot to see in Paoay like a field of beautiful cosmos flowers at Haight’s Place or you can also visit the Northern Blossoms Flower Farm in Sayangan, Atok.