八重桜

OK, I promise this will be the last cherry blossom related post this year. You're probably getting sick of seeing these flowers, since they all do kind of look the same. But somehow I never tire of sakura--even this year, with the extra long blooming season.

The regular somei yoshino sakura have long since dropped their petals, leaving the ground carpeted in a sea of white and pink so thick in places that it looks like we've had an April snowfall.

But when the somei yoshino are on their way out, the shidare-zakura (weeping cherry blossom) come out, and when they're done it's time for the yae-zakura (double cherry blossoms).

Shidare-zakura are lovely but there are none around here, while my neighborhood abounds in yae-zakura. I've never really liked yae-zakura, since they lack the delicate simplicity of regular cherry blossoms--in fact I've always thought that trees covered in those big puffy double cherry blossoms looked rather tacky.

But it wasn't until I moved into this neighborhood that I was able to see them close up, and I discovered that what charm the trees lack when seen from afar is more than made up for by viewing the blossoms up close. They really are quite beautiful, especially when the sun shines from behind and the many petals create layers of colour.

Now the yae-zakura are gone too, but spring is in full swing and there flowers blooming all over the place. It's so lovely around here lately that I may just have to change my favourite season from summer to spring.

Comments

[kat]

lovely photos!

[AC]

I don't think it's possible to get sick of pictures this beautiful. Thanks for posting them!

[MACO]

Nice to meet you. I enjoy reading your blog. :)
Wow! gorgerous!! The photos of Yaezakura is really beautiful!!!!
Please enjoy japanese life. ;)

[Janet]

Love the top two :) I always thought it was so amazing, seeing the ground carpeted in pink!

[Carlyn]

Amy:
I love the photos!!! I never tire of seeing cherry blossoms , or for that matter, any of the flowers you post!
They're so beautiful...

[Chuck]

I will make it unanimous so far, the sakura (and all) pics are great. Keep up the good work. Domo arigatou gozaimasu!

[boolena]

My friend, Mari, in the SF bay area told me about you. I just arrived a week ago and I will be living in Hiroshima for the next two years; my fiance has a job here. Already your site has been useful. Not only to know that I am not "alone" but also because you explained things that I have already wondered about. Like, are those big pompom pink flowers also cherry? How does anyone bake in Japan? Where's the butter? THANKS for inspiring me.

[Liz]

No, keep up with the cherry blossom posts! I love the diversity and delicacy of the flower. Somehow, they look much better in your photos than wrapped around the Lincoln Memorial in D.C. They look less like photos and much more like paintings. Love them.

[domesticshorthair]

I love sakura, and I regret that I didn't get to the few locations we have around here to see them. Those pictures of the blossoms are just breathtaking!

[Absolutely Tokyo!]

There's no such thing as "too many sakura pictures." I especially love the pink "snow" as the petals gently fall. This is the hardest time of all to be away from Japan. I don't think I'll ever get used to living in the desert after living in Japan (and, formerly, Seattle). Thanks for your beautiful pictures!

[fumipuriri]

wow... beautiful pictures! i love sakura!

[blue]

Wow, those sakura pics are so beautiful!
At the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, all yae-zakura are in full bloom now. They have an impressive collection of yae-zakura, so many different types, like Horinji, Kuramayama, Ojochin, Ukon, kikushidare and Shougetsu, but their main and favorite is Kwanzan(or Kanzan) which has very strong pink color and heavy double petals. They think Kwanzan is gorgeous, I think kinda tacky.

http://www.bbg.org/exp/cherries/
http://www.bbg.org/exp/cherries/guide.html

I am 100% with you, I prefer simple ones with light pink color, but yet some of yae-zakura are so breathtakingly beautyful like the ones you photographed.
Japanese call the very light pink of sakura Usubeni 薄紅.
This is my favorite song about sakura

Hanakikou　花紀行　Yumi Arai(Matsutoya)

Wandering alone in a strange town
Wind scatters petals from the sky
Kisses thrown by the passing spring
Land on my hair and shoulder so tenderly
If I stay here
And see this flower storm goes away
I would be buried in the stream of the time

Usubeni is so soft and tender
Even though nobody picks them up
Wandering alone in a strange town
Wind scatters petals from the sky
Land on my hair and shoulder so softly

[J.Panda]

The photographs of the blossoms on the ground are really beautiful. The ground looks like a carpet with patterns of pink and gray. These sights are very fleeting and stay only for a short time.

That is why the memory carries them.

J.Panda

[Amy]

Thanks for the comments! Glad you aren't sick of cherry blossom pictures.

Boolena, glad to be of service! Hope you like it down there in Hiroshima.

Blue, thanks for the info and song. I had no idea how many varieties there were!

[Nic (KHKL)]

lovely pics of sakura!...i was so awed by the beauty of this flower, i dedicated the last month to it by posting japanese food reviews the whole of april!

wish i were in japan again!

[YU]

Hello! I am Yu(yuji). I always enjoy beautiful photographs of your blog. In Tokyo, the season of the SAKURA was over, but a SAKURA is in full bloom in Tohoku region. I look forward to your article from now on!

[Amy]

Thanks Nic and Yu!