I was walking in a nearby park called Hofgarten over the weekend and found a tree with white flowers in full bloom. The elegant curves of the petals and pure white color were impressive.
I didn’t know much about cherry blossoms that bloom in late February, and since the location was in Germany, I became interested and researched it. Based on the shape and color of the petals, it seems that the cherry blossom is a type of “Yamazakura” (scientific name: Prunus serrulata), which is native to Japan. The blooming time varies depending on the region and climate, but it usually blooms from late February to early March, and it is one of the commonly seen cherry blossoms in Germany.
The Yamazakura is a single trunk tree with 5 to 7 single-layered petals, and the white petals overlap, radiating a beautiful vibrancy against the winter gray cloudy sky.
Although it was a cold day, I could feel the arrival of spring.
週末に家の近所の公園：Hofgartenを散歩していて、白い花が咲く木を見つけた。花びらの優美な曲線や、清らかな白色が印象的だった。
2月の下旬に咲く桜はあまり知らなかったし、しかも場所はドイツということで興味をもったので調べてみた。花びらのかたちや、色から、その桜は「ヤマザクラ」（学名: Prunus serrulata）の一種のようだ。日本原産の桜で開花時期は地域や気候によって異なるが、一般的に2月下旬から3月上旬にかけて咲くことが多く、ドイツでもよく見られる桜の一つだそうだ。
そのヤマザクラは単木で一重咲きの花弁は5枚から7枚程度で、白い花びらが重なり合い、冬の灰色の曇り空を背景に美しい華やかさを放っていた。
寒い日であったが春の訪れを感じることができた。
