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As expected, this year’s cherry blossom season was a massive letdown in Japan. But really, it couldn’t be helped, what with the coronavirus outbreak coinciding with the blooming of Japan’s favorite seasonal flower, leading to the cancellation of cherry blossom festivals across the nation and calls from local authorities for people to refrain from picnics and other gatherings in parks and gardens.
With the lifting of cautionary coronavirus countermeasures not happening anytime soon and sakura petals having already fallen from the trees in much of Japan, most people think they’ve got no choice but to wait until next year. It turns out, though, that there’s a way to enjoy the cherry blossoms while still sheltering in place: potted plant miniature sakura trees that haven’t bloomed yet.
Felissimo is currently taking orders for potted sakura through its Felissimo R sub-brand. Japan has many types of cherry blossom trees, and these are the Asashiyamazakura variety, which needs less sunlight and is more resistant to cold than others. By keeping the trees in a temperature-controlled storage facility, Felissimo has been able to delay their blooming, and the plants will arrive at customers’ homes with unopened buds on their branches.
After a few days, the buds will start to open, and the sakura should reach full bloom in roughly one week, or slightly longer in particularly cold climates. As a result, you can enjoy the complete sakura cycle of the flowers blooming and eventually fluttering down from the branches.
Felissimo does caution that, as living things, some plants may have more blossoms than others, and there’s a chance of the flowers being mixed with opening leaves or, in rare cases, no flowers at all. However, the potted sakura, if watered and cared for, will last for years to come, and even if yours isn’t heavy with flowers this year, it may have more in years to come.
Technically, Felissimo is recommending the potted sakura as a mother’s day gift, but there’s absolutely nothing stopping anyone from ordering one for themselves. Each plant is priced at 4,947 yen here on Felissimo’s online shop, where orders can be placed until Thursday for shipping in early May.
Source, images: Felissimo
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© SoraNews24
2 Comments
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Nadège
In France, we worry we will miss muguet.
kurisupisu
This little tree will be at least 6000 yen with shipping.
I’m buying plants that I can grow to eat on my balcony..