Avoid the lines at High Park: Five fascinating things to consider before viewing U of T's cherry blossoms

Romi Levine — Mon, 06 May 2019 16:39:52 +0000

Romi Levine Mon, 05/06/2019 - 12:39

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Cherry blossoms are beginning to bloom outside of Robarts Library on the downtown Toronto campus (all photos by Romi Levine)

Romi Levine

Topic

City & Culture

Cherry Blossoms

Cherry Trees

Cities

Japan

Robarts

U of T Libraries

U of T Scarborough

Warm spring weather means the cherry blossoms outside of Robarts Library at the University of Toronto are finally blooming.

The 70 Japanese cherry trees, also known as sakura, were originally given to the university as a gift from the Consulate General of Japan in the early 2000s. They’re now an annual showpiece, attracting visitors from across the city who snap countless selfies with the photogenic backdrop.

There are also 50 cherry blossom trees at U of T Scarborough between the H-Wing and Social Sciences building.

When you go to check out the blooms, you’ll be participating in a tradition that’s over 1,300 years old – and one that now spans the globe.

U of T News went to the Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library to speak with librarian Fabiano Takashi Rocha about the history and culture of cherry blossom viewing. Here’s what we found out:

History of hanami

Flower-viewing parties – events where people gather to view tree blossoms – date back to the 700s, says Rocha.

While they are associated with Japanese culture, the first events of this kind were believed to have taken place in China, he says, but with plum blossoms instead of cherry.

In Japan, the custom, known as hanami, first took place during the Heian period, which began in 794. The event was initially exclusive to the aristocracy, but by the 1600s, during the Edo or Tokugawa period, hanami was enjoyed by the elite and commoners alike, says Rocha.

You may recognize the work of famous Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai from “Th e Great Wave off Kanagawa ,” but he also painted other scenes of Japanese life and nature, like this one, featuring cherry blossom trees. Both works of art are part of a series called “Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji”

Picnic in the park

“In many ways, Japanese cherry blossoms and hanami became part of the national identity,” says Rocha.

Today, he says, Japanese families, friends and co-workers flock to groves of sakura to have picnics under the trees, either with food they prepare themselves or bento decorated with cherry blossom motifs sold by vendors at some of the bigger parks.

“It's an opportunity for people to bond and enjoy the very ephemeral beauty of the sakura, which is there for a very limited amount of time,” Rocha says.

Kanpai!

Along with lunch, Rocha says it’s tradition to drink sake, Japanese rice wine, during hanami.

“The first time I did a cherry blossom viewing in Japan, they said if you hold your sake cup and if a petal falls into your cup, that’s a sign of good luck,” he says.

Japanese artist Andō Hiroshige captured cherry blossoms in bloom outside Kyoto’s Kyomizu Hall in the 1800s, printed here in the 2007 book Meisho Edo hyakkei: hizō Iwasaki korekushon

Deeper meaning

What draws people to cherry blossoms year after year? Rocha says it’s more than just their beauty.

“It’s because of the transience,” he says. “You know it’s not going to be there for a very long time, so you want to enjoy as much as you can. There’s a connection to the cycles of life – you know death is probably inevitable but while you’re alive you should be enjoying the beauty of life.”

Cherry blossoms are, indeed, only in bloom for a short period – about four to 10 days.

Cherry blossoms appear in literature as well as art, says Rocha. Here, a woman is depicted attaching a poem about her lover to a sakura that reads “On meeting again, there will be sorrows / How fleeting are the cherry blossoms”

Blossom biodiversity

There are over 200 species of cherry blossoms, says Rocha.

The most common type is the Yoshino, he says, which is the kind you will see outside of Robarts.

Most sakura are cultivated by people, but there are some that grow in the wild. They include the Yamazakura, which often grows in Japan’s mountainous regions.

Snapped a selfie with cherry blossoms at Robarts or U of T Scarborough? Share it on social media using #UofTBlooms for a chance to be featured on U of T channels.

Cherry trees protected, preserved before work begins on Robarts Library extension

sgupta — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 12:10:46 +0000

Cherry trees protected, preserved before work begins on Robarts Library extension sgupta Fri, 11/06/2015 - 07:10

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“We know how loved these trees are by the community, particularly in the spring,” says U of T Chief Librarian Larry Alford. “We look forward to restoring them and ensuring that they thrive for the enjoyment of future generations.”

Terry Lavender

Author legacy

Terry Lavender

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Subheadline

Cherished for their spring blossoms, trees are being relocated before work begins on new Commons

Construction of the Robarts Common extension to Robarts Library is expected to get underway next spring, with the new 1,200-seat study commons available for use by students in the 2017-2018 school year.

In preparation for the construction work, arborists will relocate or replace 32 cherry trees currently on the site. The relocation and replanting, by PAO Horticultural of Hornby, Ontario, will begin on November 12, project manager Blair Jurecka told U of T News.

“Autumn is the best time to replant the trees as they are dormant at this time,” Jurecka said, adding 17 healthy trees will be relocated close by, while 15 failed trees will be replaced by trees of equivalent size. Twenty-three of the 55 cherry trees will be unaffected by the construction.

The trees were first planted as part of the Sakura Project, established by the Consulate General of Japan to celebrate the growing friendship between Ontario and Japan. The Consulate General donated 3,082 trees to be planted in public places in Ontario, including U of T’s downtown Toronto and Scarborough campuses.

“The trees were originally planted too close together to remain healthy and viable,” Jurecka said. “The trees currently located along Huron are crowded and competing for space and light. This move, and the reconfiguration of Robarts Common, will not only ensure successful long-term growth of the trees, but will also allow for stone seating and an improved, more welcoming landscape.”

That’s welcome news for Sarah Khan, U of T’s marketing and online communications coordinator.

“The trees are such an important part of U of T’s history,” Khan said. “Year after year, students, staff, faculty and others come to see the blossoms. This annual tradition is one of our top moments on social media.

“Since the blossoms last about a week, sometimes less, there is a lot of anticipation on Twitter and Instagram during the weeks leading up to the cherry blossoms. And once they start blooming, people share thousands of photos of the blossoms. Robarts becomes a festive place where people bring their friends and kids – some people even bring their dogs to check out the trees.”

Jurecka noted that the local community, the City of Toronto and the Japanese Consulate General have been consulted extensively about the plan. The 15 trees to be replaced at Robarts are all failed graft cherries, where the host trunk has overcome the cherry graft. “There will always be 55 live, healthy cherry trees on the site,” Jurecka said.

“We know how loved these trees are by the community, particularly in the spring when they draw hundreds of visitors to view them,” said U of T Chief Librarian Larry Alford. “We look forward to restoring them and ensuring that they thrive for the enjoyment of future generations.”

Below, see a storify of some of the social media posts celebrating the cherry trees in spring:

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