Sakura in bloom at the Cibodas Gardens

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.