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SAKURAS are blooming in Japan this month and so are Singapore's
version of the sakura tree, the pink mempat.
Indigenous to this region, the pink mempat bears flowers with
small pink petals and a yellow centre that resemble the Japanese
sakura, or cherry blossom, hence its nickname, 'Singapore
Sakura'.
Like the Japanese sakura, the branches are almost bare when the
tree flowers, so the crown of pink buds bursting into bloom is
especially eye-catching.
Already, flowering pink mempat trees along Alexandra Road, Choa
Chu Kang Drive and Joo Chiat Road, have stopped pedestrians and
motorists in their tracks.
Retired teacher Angie Ng, 68, said: 'I stopped my car to take a
picture of these trees because they are so beautiful.'
The blooms are expected to last for between one and two
weeks.
