Spencer Smith Park's Cherry Trees Get a Renewal Plan

The cherry blossoms at Spencer Smith Park are getting a long-term plan. Burlington is starting renewal work in the park's northeast corner this fall, and the first step is removing nine invasive trees, Norway maples, mulberries and Tree of Heaven, between September and November.

No cherry trees are coming down this year. The blossoms, which draw crowds every late April and early May, trace back to 1997, when Kan and Toshiko Nakazawa donated the original trees from Burlington's twin city of Itabashi, Japan. About 26 cherry trees remain after earlier removals of declining ones.

The renewal runs in phases. New cherry trees are set to go in around 2027, with more aging trees replaced by 2031, alongside an extended walkway and new plantings. The idea is to keep the Sakura tradition going for decades without losing the corner of the park people already love.