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Anyone who damages or breaks a blossoming cherry tree can be fined $300 — the same amount for any tree damaged in the city.

In 2020, one man was fined a total of $1,150 after he was issued three tickets following an overnight trip to High Park to climb a cherry blossom tree.

“Cherry blossoms, like other trees, can have negative long-term effects if someone plucks off blooms/flowers,” said Alexandra Dinsmore, a communications co-ordinator with the city.

Climbing branches can have immediate and negative long-term effects on the trees’ health, Dinsmore said. Even breaking off a small twig could peel back a strip of bark and create a larger wound on the tree. And once that has happens, the wound can become a point of entry for pests and put stress on the tree as it tries to heal. 

Just walking too close to the trees can make it harder for their roots to soak in water, Dinsmore added.

“When visiting High Park or other cherry blossom locations, please make sure you stick to the trails, keep your dog on a leash and help protect ecologically sensitive areas,” she said. “High Park especially is one of the most significant natural areas in Toronto, with over a third of the park remaining in a natural state.”

Continuous damage can impact a tree’s natural growth patterns, weaken its branch structure, and in more dire situations, shorten their lifespan or make them more susceptible to disease and decay.

To protect the Sakura trees, the city is encouraging visitors taking part in Hanami — the Japanese practice of viewing and enjoying the cherry blossoms — to “protect nature by staying on trails, avoiding climbing trees and properly disposing of litter,” Dinsmore said.

Online, users on Reddit and TikTok have posted photos and videos of visitors climbing the cherry blossom trees and pulling their on branches.

“I was there too and honestly just disappointed in people plucking out, pulling the branches or even climbing the tree,” one user commented.

Anyone who witnesses someone mishandling the blossoms and trees is asked to contact 311.

In 1959, Japanese ambassador Toru Hagiwara presented 2,000 Sakura cherry trees to Toronto on behalf of the people of Tokyo as a gesture of thanks for accepting relocated Japanese-Canadians after the Second World War. Many were planted on the hillside overlooking Grenadier Pond, in High Park. Since then, additional cherry trees have been planted across the city to ensure the gift’s lasting legacy.

The City of pc28¹ÙÍø where the cherry blossoms annually bloom for a few weeks from late April to early May. The sites include High Park, Edwards Gardens, Trinity Bellwoods Park, Woodbine Park, York University and the University of Toronto’s downtown and Scarborough campuses.

With files from Hayden Godfrey and Osebe Waberi