The Yoshino cherry blossoms are blooming—super romantic, like a scene from a movie at the University of Washington

Text & Photos /Dad Seahorse

When spring arrives in Vancouver, the cherry and plum blossoms burst forth like firecrackers; within a week or two, the petals scatter like snow.

Just three hours away from Vancouver, Seattle is geographically, climatically, and culturally akin to its sister city. As flower buds in Vancouver begin to bloom despite the spring chill, the cherry trees in Seattle also start to dazzle.

Among the many cherry blossom viewing spots in Seattle, the most spectacular and well-known is the University of Washington.Read more:Six Cherry Blossom Spots in Seattle (English) .If you live in Seattle or are an alumnus of this university, you surely know the magic of the Somei Yoshino cherry tree grove in The Quad plaza.

The square is rectangular, with concrete pathways crisscrossing the lawn, surrounded by classic red-brick castle-like buildings. Thirty Yoshino cherry trees have stood shoulder to shoulder with these aged classroom buildings for 50 years. It’s said that before the 1960s, these trees were originally planted in another park, the Park Arboretum, but were transplanted to their current location at the University of Washington after the area was converted into a highway.

When the Yoshino cherry blossoms first bloom, their buds and petal edges are tinged with peach-red. When fully bloomed, they turn pure white, with five gracefully unfurled petals, much beloved by the Japanese. When all thirty cherry trees are in full bloom, The Quad seems to be enveloped in a steamy mist, with rolling clouds of vapor hovering above the green lawn, while the old buildings appear like celestial pavilions peeking through the floral clouds.

Flower lovers naturally won’t miss the prime blooming season. On sunny days, the plaza is dotted with young people having picnics on the grass or chatting in groups. Regardless of nationality or age, everyone with a phone or professional camera is smiling beneath the trees.

If you’re a week or two late and miss the pink-and-white spectacle of The Quad, don’t be discouraged—just a short distance away, the pink cherry blossoms near Suzzallo Library in Red Square offer another breathtaking view.Read more:Visit the Hogwarts Library: SUZZALLO LIBRARY at the University of Washington

Descend from the edge of Red Square, along the pathway between Johnson Hall and Mary Gates Hall, where over ten large, fiery peach-red American flowering cherries blaze like flames on either side.

Not far away is the campus icon, the circular Drumheller Fountain. In the distance, Mount Rainier, often capped with snow, stands faintly in the background. These flame-colored cherry trees bring the distant, middle, and foreground into one straight line of perspective that seems to stretch for miles.

For those who love pure white blossoms, remember to visit the University of Washington early—the Somei Yoshino cherry blossoms will leave you awestruck. For those who prefer pink, wait until the Yoshino blossoms in The Quad begin to fall, then leisurely stroll through Red Square, gazing up at the blush-pink blossoms until your neck aches. You’ll be filled with contentment and no regrets.

University of Washington http://www.washington.edu/

Dad Seahorse
A Gemini man under the air sign, he worked as a senior marketing and PR executive for multinational corporations before turning 45; after 45, he moved to Canada. Alongside his teenage sons, he plays the role of a father amid the foreign springs of cherry blossoms, summers of sunshine, autumns of maple leaves, and winters of rain and snow, while documenting his experiences in Vancouver.

Blog:Vancouver Laughs my.van.life, Facebook Page:Dad Seahorse’s Vancouver Diary