Pittsburgh Sakura Project

05/27/2026

Update for the Work Session on Saturday, 5/30:
The start time has been moved back to 10 am. Due to a morning closure of Tennis Court Rd. for an event, please park at the dog run area (where Lakeshore Dr. ends at Walter Rd.)
come to all or part). Register on our website. https://sites.google.com/.../pghsakuraproject.../volunteer

05/02/2026

Next work sessions will be Saturdays 5/23 (10 am to noon) and 5/30 (9 am to noon--come to all or part). Register on our website. https://sites.google.com/view/pghsakuraproject-english/volunteer

04/07/2026

Thanks to Mark Palmer for this lovely photo of Autumnalis cherry blossoms taken near Harmony Shelter and the pond on Friday, 4/3/2026. Besides its beauty, it epitomizes this year's cherry blossom season: leaves, buds, and flowers at the same time. You have to look closely to find the beauty in the combination. You also need good timing!

04/05/2026

You can see these photos as a regular post too. Taken on Saturday, April 4, 2026.

04/04/2026

The blossoms this year are weak, but still beautiful when you get up close.

04/04/2026

These photos show what is probably the peak blossom, taken this afternoon. You can see that there are some nice flowers but not many. The stress mainly from the weather has caused the flowers and leaves to occur at the same time. But if you want to come and see them, they are pretty and the park is nice.

04/04/2026

Sadly, we must announce that we are not expecting many cherry blossoms this year. Cold weather at just at the wrong time damaged buds on healthy trees. Other trees received major pruning this winter to control the black knot fungus. Those trees are putting energy into making leaves, not flowers. Some dying trees (mostly due to black knot fungus) have been removed, and a whole grove of healthy Pink Flair cherries has been cut down for what looks like a project to redevelop the playground.
Accordingly, our Hanami Event, scheduled for April 18, 2 - 4 pm at Harmony Shelter, will change purpose to an information session.

03/31/2026

We have an updated 2026 Cherry Blossom Forecast just posted to

Blossom Forecast Updated 3/30/2026 Unlike a normal year, many buds sustained frost damage. We aren't expecting a great blossom season, but surely some trees will be beautiful. Please check back here for updates. See the map below to find the "Areas." 🌸ーArea　A Accolade are suffering from

03/29/2026

Same as last year: To contribute your photos of the cherry trees in North Park for our use on our website, Facebook, and Instagram, please email them to our photo mailbox, at [email protected], together with your name, the date and place you took them, and that you are allowing us to use them.

These photos are from 3/22/2026, showing buds in various stages of swelling. We expect that the pink Okame northwest of the tennis courts will blossom very soon. It will be fortunate if they can hold off until Sunday, 3/29, so the new blossoms are not damaged by freezing.

03/20/2026

News and a photo:

The photo is of Okame cherries in bloom with snow, taken at Carnegie Mellon U. on 3/17/2026. They were beautiful, and the blossoms did not weather the very cold night well. Our own Okame grove, northwest of the tennis courts is typically 1 to 2 weeks later than CMU's grove. Keep an eye out!

Save the date: We will have a Spring Hanami event on the afternoon of Saturday, April 18. Details TBA.

Our Spring Tree Care Work Sessions have been thrown off schedule by the weather and an illness. They should be up and running again soon.

In major news, the County is apparently cutting (culling) some of our trees that are succumbing to the Black Knot fungus. If you see that and wonder about it, it's very sad, but it couldn't be avoided.