A Trio of Storied Spring Flowers
The spring floral parade in Toronto (and other urban centres) is attended by many flowers. Three in particular stand out because of their symbolism and history dating back nearly a century: daffodils, sakura and tulips.
Daffodils were introduced to North America and specifically Canada when Europeans arrived in the 16th Century. In the 1950s, Lady Flora Eaton hosted tea parties at the Eaton Centre to support the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS). Capitalizing on the popularity of the daffodils adorning the tables at these parties, CCS volunteers officially started selling the yellow flowers in 1957 to finance cancer research. This culminated in the organization adopting the daffodil as its logo in 2000 and April being recognized as Daffodil Month in Canada.
As April gives way to May, Torontonians start asking when and where cherry blossoms will emerge. Historically, the legend of sakura began in Canada in 1959. That year, the city of Tokyo sent a gift of 2000 cherry trees to Toronto, as a token of appreciation for the city becoming a home for Japanese Canadian refugees (ironically, they became refugees because of racist Canadian policies). While most of these original trees found a home in High Park, other groves have been planted in various clusters in the Greater Toronto Area, all blooming some time between the end of April and the beginning of May. These tiny flowers may be white or pink, and typically last no longer than two weeks before falling from the trees. This transience and the geographical clustering of the groves make sakura viewing an annual rite of spring in Japan, Toronto and other urban centres where they may be found.
While Torontonians are entranced by sakura, tulips start taking over from daffodils all over the city. My own facination with tulips is rooted in a trip to the Netherlands in May of 1995. Upon arriving at Schiphol Airport, I was greeted with what I clearly remember as an assiduously formal “Thank You” by the Customs Officer. Puzzled by this expression of gratitude, I looked up and then around, I noticed that many (all?) airport employees there were wearing a Canadian flag pin. It dawned on me that I was being treated a bit like a VIP because of my Canadian passport, and because it was the 50th anniversary of liberation of the Netherlands. The Dutch recognized and have never forgotten Canadian leadership and sacrifice in this effort. Starting in 1945, they have been sending us 20,000 tulip bulbs every year. I brought home two bulbs on that trip, and hope they are now blooming proudly in front of a house in Rivière-du-Loup where I left them in 1995.
