Sakura in bloom at the Cibodas Gardens

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor, West Java

For those who feel like braving the weekend congestion along the road to Puncak, cherry blossoms -- known as sakura trees -- are in bloom at Cibodas Gardens. But unlike Japan, one can also enjoy the blossoms at other times of the year.

The head of the Gardens, Holif, said from an initial 32 trees the gardens now has 150, and 12 are in bloom. "The sakura trees in Cibodas are unique because they are in bloom in January, February, August and September," he said. In their native Japan it is an annual event across the country as they only bloom in April and families come to picnic under the pink colored flowers. The sakura is Japan's official national flower.

The trees are spread across the Gardens such as around the guest house. Holif said the trees would be moved to one place to be named the Sakura Garden.

He said favorites among visitors were also the Gardens' collection of medicinal plants such as the taxus Sumatrana which is said to prevent cancer, apart from its cactus collection.

Some of the sakura trees were given by the Japanese Botanical Gardens, in return for data on tropical plants growing in mountainous areas, Holif said.

Other trees were from Japanese researchers and some were acquired from President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso.