Japanese Sakura trees, a significant symbol in the culture of the Far East and harbingers of spring, have offered seasonal splashes of color in a park in Istanbul's Ataşehir district as they begin to bloom.
Also known as "Japanese cherry trees," these sakura trees offer visitors a visual treat in the springtime at Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden, located at the entrance to the Ataşehir district on the Anatolian side of Türkiye's largest metropolis.
These cherry trees symbolize love, passion and renewal in Japanese culture, as well as Japanese-Turkish friendship. They were planted on Ertuğrul Island and its surroundings in the botanical garden on Oct. 23, 2005.
The deputy director of Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden, Salih Sercan Kanoğlu, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that these trees are also known as friendship trees.
"Sakura" is a type of Japanese cherry. The term "sakura" means "cherry blossom" in Japanese, Kanoğlu explained.
The Japanese presented these sakura trees to the world as trees of friendship and peace while they also grow these trees in their own gardens.
Kanoğlu highlighted that Ertuğrul Island, on which the trees are planted, was established in memory of the martyrs of the Ertuğrul Fırkateyn disaster. The Japanese Sakura Foundation has planted a total of 527 trees, one for each martyr.
The director added that the blossoming of the trees, which is usually expected each year at the end of March and at the beginning of April, took place a bit earlier this year, and that the trees will remain covered in blossom for around one more week.
Noting that there are various sorts of sakura trees in the garden made up of 12 islands on a total surface area of 460,000 square meters (4,951,399 square feet), Kanoğlu explained that all of the trees will bloom in time.
Kanoğlu elaborated on the specifications of the sakura trees and noted that there is no difference in terms of maintenance between sakura and other cherry trees.
He said that the trees do not require a lot of water, emphasizing that special care should be taken with pruning, as it only has the ability to produce flowers and not fruits.
Kanoğlu further said that the Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanical Garden was built to support research work on drought-related theories. He also said the garden has a collection of seven types of soil, and the plants that grow in the different types of soil were brought from Lake Tuz.
Türkiye has 10,000 plant varieties, Kanoğlu noted, with 30% of them under threat for various reasons. He added that expanding the number of botanical gardens is vital for preserving endemic species.