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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
Environment
Amanda Morrow

Early bloom of cherry blossoms another marker of climate change

The average blossom start date for cherry trees in Japan has moved forward by 1.2 days per decade since 1953. © AFP / BEHROUZ MEHRI

Climate change is causing Japanese cherry blossoms, a famous symbol of spring, to burst into peak bloom early. From Tokyo to Paris and Washington DC, nature’s calendar has been disrupted by unprecedented warm weather that could ultimately prove detrimental to one of the world’s most admired flowers.

A marker of seasonal change, cherry blossoms are profoundly symbolic in Japanese culture – representing both rejuvenation as well as the fleeting beauty of nature.

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