Spring Is Cherry Blossom Time

The annual May blossoming of the cherry trees in Traverse City is one of America’s most impressive floral displays: 2.6 million blooming cherry trees climbing the steep glacial ridges like battalions of tidy white clouds, their soft lines contrasting with bright new grass, acres of yellow dandelions and the cobalt blue waters of Grand Traverse Bay.

Cherries are deeply woven into the fabric of the world’s Cherry Capital. Most of the region’s cherry orchards are located on the Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas. Renowned for their natural beauty, these two long peninsulas are bathed by deep glacial lakes and bays, creating an unusually mild “microclimate” with cool springs, dry summers and long warm autumns that extend the growing season well into October.

First to bloom are the sweet cherries – about 600,000 of them. Then, within a few days, they’re joined by 2 million tart cherry trees. Unlike the ornamental cherries familiar to visitors to Washington D.C., these blossoms are pure white, though from a distance some trees seem to carry hints of pink from their red twigs, while others take on a touch of light green from the emerging leaves around them. The color intensifies within a week, however, when light pink blossoms of 670,000 apple trees suddenly appear.

It’s not easy to predict exactly when the annual cherry bloom will happen. In recent years it has begun as early as May 5 and as late as May 28 -- and there can be variations of as much as a week from one orchard to the next. (Areas farthest away from deep water tend to bloom earlier and finish more quickly, than those along the coast.)

Such a dramatic display calls for celebration, and Traverse City residents have always observed the onset of the spring bloom with appropriate festivities. Blossom Days is a weekend festival sponsored by the wineries of the Old Mission peninsula. This year it’s being held May 17-18, and will include barrel tastings of reserve vintages from the peninsula’s five wineries and special menu offerings at local restaurants, as well as a Blessing of the Blossoms on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

The wineries and restaurants of the Leelanau Peninsula, meanwhile, have their own spring blossom event, “Spring Sip & Savor,” it mixes “new release” wine-tastings and gourmet meals at 13 of the peninsula’s wineries. This year’s event is being held May 3-4.

But for many visitors, the best part of the season is simply getting out and driving along the winding peninsula roads to see the hundreds of flowering trees set against the green grass, the yellow dandelions and the deep blue waters of the lake.