Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival 2027
Cherry blossom
Seasonal cut flowerPrunus serrulata and other ornamental Prunus
Cherry blossom: when it's in season in Australia
Cherry blossom is in season in Australia from August to October. In New South Wales the season runs August to September. In Victoria the season runs September to October.Being confirmed
- Right now
- In season in September
- Season
- August to October
Season by state
Ornamental cherries are grown here for the spectacle of the trees, not as a market cut flower, so the season is when they bloom. Sydney is early: the roughly 200 trees in the Japanese Garden at Auburn Botanic Gardens peak in late August, which is why the Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival runs then (22 to 30 August in 2026). Melbourne and regional Victoria follow from September into October, with late September to early October the safest bet. Peak bloom only lasts a few weeks, and wind or heavy rain can strip the branches quickly.
Where to buy cherry blossom
Not a regular market line, so there is no reliable price guide. Being confirmed
How to choose good cherry blossom
Cut blossom is rarely sold, so choosing usually means cutting from your own tree or a friend's, or buying branches from a grower at a local market. Pick branches with plump buds and only a few flowers open, because fully open branches drop within a day or two. Choose ones with a good shape, a few side twigs and smooth bark, and skip anything with splits or dead wood. Cut just above a side branch so the tree heals cleanly, and never cut street or park trees. Three or four branches of about a metre fill a floor vase.
We're still finding florists who stock cherry blossom. Check your local flower market.
Grown here or imported?
Cherry blossom is not native to Australia, but it's grown here commercially.
Where it's grown
Ornamental cherries are planted as garden, park and street trees, mostly in the cooler south-east. In Sydney, Auburn Botanic Gardens has the best-known display. Cowra, in central west NSW, has a large Japanese garden and a long avenue of cherries, and holds a cherry blossom festival each September. In Canberra, Nara Peace Park by the lake has trees gifted from Japan. Around Melbourne, the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden at Olinda and the Royal Botanic Gardens are reliable, and Hobart's Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens flower in September. Fruit orchards in Tasmania's Huon Valley and the Yarra Valley blossom too.
We're still checking whether out-of-season cherry blossom is imported into Australia, and from where. If you see it outside the months above, ask your florist where it came from.
Colours, varieties and care
Colours
- soft pink
- white
- deep pink
Making it last
- Take or buy branches with buds just cracking
- Split the woody stem end and recut on an angle
- Stand in deep, lukewarm water
- Keep in a cool room away from heaters and fruit
- Expect petals to fall within days of opening fully
Using it at home
Blossom branches are about height and line, so give them a tall, heavy vase such as a stoneware urn or a large glass cylinder, and let two or three branches do the work. For a mixed arrangement, the same weeks bring magnolia, tulips, ranunculus, anemones and freesias. Keep those low around the base and let the blossom rise above them. Branches cut in tight bud open over several days indoors, and the petals start falling soon after they are fully open. Put the vase somewhere you do not mind sweeping.
Meaning
In Japan, cherry blossom is a symbol of the brief, beautiful nature of life.
Where to see it growing
Auburn Botanic Gardens
Auburn
Best: August to SeptemberBeing confirmed
Questions people ask
When is cherry blossom season in Australia?
Sydney flowers first, with the Auburn Botanic Gardens trees peaking in late August. In Melbourne and regional Victoria cherries flower from September into October, and late September to early October is the most reliable window. Each tree's peak lasts only a couple of weeks.
When is the Sydney Cherry Blossom Festival?
It is held at Auburn Botanic Gardens in late August, timed for the 200 or so cherry trees in the Japanese Garden. The 2026 festival ran from Saturday 22 to Sunday 30 August. Cumberland City Council runs it, and tickets are sold ahead.
Can I buy cherry blossom as a cut flower?
Not easily. Ornamental cherry is grown for garden and street displays, and it isn't a regular line at Australian flower markets. If you have a tree, cut branches in bud and bring them inside to open, but expect them to drop quickly.
Can you grow cherry blossom trees in Sydney?
Yes, with the right choice. Most ornamental cherries need a cold winter to flower well, so they do best in cooler suburbs, the Blue Mountains and the Southern Highlands. In warmer coastal suburbs, ask a nursery for varieties suited to mild winters. Being confirmed Plant in full sun with good drainage and shelter from strong wind.
Is cherry blossom poisonous to dogs or cats?
The ASPCA lists cherry trees as toxic to cats, dogs and horses. The leaves, stems and seeds contain compounds that can release cyanide when chewed, and wilted leaves are the riskiest. Keep pets from chewing fallen or cut branches, and call your vet straight away if they do.
