Warm spell brings unexpected floral beauty
Magnolias flower at the Gongqing Forest Park because of warm temperatures over the weekend.
The city's unusually warm weather over the weekend has spurred the flowering of white magnolias.
"The abrupt rise of temperature stimulated the flowering of spring blossoms like magnolia, and the best time to appreciate it is expected next week," said Wang Yuqin, a botanist at the Shanghai Botanical Garden in Xuhui District.
The blooms should last until around March 20, Wang said.
The sudden drop in temperature this week is good news because constant warm weather would shorten the flowering time of magnolia.
At the Gongqing Forest Park, which boasts about 800 magnolia trees, some have also flowered — including one a century old.
Some other spring flowers such as cherry blossoms, orchids and peach flowers are also in full bloom or should flower soon in the city.
Kawazu-zakura cherry blossom, a star of spring flowers in the city, is in full bloom at the Shanghai Botanical Garden and the Chenshan Botanical Garden.
