On Thursday, January 25, 2024, I drove through Wahiawā to see how the cherry blossoms are doing. They’re just about to peak. The trees in front of ʻIliahi Elementary won’t be ready for another two weeks or so, while those at the end of California Avenue are just coming into their best blooms.
Last year, we made an event of the blossoming. I ended up taking three separate tours up through the area, stopping to sightsee several places including Petersons’ Upland Farm for eggs, and Mānoa Honey and Mead (It’s called Mānoa, but it’s in Wahiawa). I also created a Wahiawa Cherry Blossom sightseeing map for friends.
On two of those tours, we picnicked at Wahiawā Botanical Garden. Bring insect repellent if you’re planning to do the same. It’s a wonderful wooded area filled with beautiful flora — and some fauna, like a bold mother hen teaching her chicks how to beg for scraps — but it also is home to some hungry mosquitoes.
Wahiawā Botanical Garden, like most of the botanical gardens here on Oʻahu, is free. It’s a nice place to get your zen on and relax in the shady expanse. There’s also an area just outside of the main area and over a bridge where a few cherry trees grow. The information kiosk will show you where to go.
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Update: 2/6/2024. I visited Wahiawa Botanical Garden to see how their cherry blossom tree was doing. Video below.
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