Early Cherry Blossoms Signal Shifting Climate Patterns

Visitors to the capital's Royal Gardens were greeted this week by cherry trees in full bloom — an event that typically doesn't occur until mid-April.

Phenologists at the national agricultural university say this is the earliest recorded bloom in 250 years of continuous observation, beating the previous record set in 2021 by four days.

"Plants don't lie," said botanist Dr. Eva Nordin. "These trees are responding to a clear warming trend that is reshaping our seasons."