Beneath a floral canopy

Enjoying the Cherry Walk at the Dunedin Botanic Garden are students (from left) Shanae van de Wiel, Ashlee Drummy and Kate Harding.

The Cherry Walk’s peak flowering time is between September and October.

Cherry blossom trees only bloom for a few weeks before their petals are shed, floating down to the ground in a flurry of pink and white. The blooming of the trees, known as ‘‘sakura’’ trees in Japan, was once elaborately celebrated by Japanese aristocrats in and before the 12th century.

Watching the flowers has remained popular in both Japan and here in Dunedin.