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MASSIVE blooms! Overwhelming blooms! Exceptionally beautiful!

But are we, “stealing the thunder” from Japan – where Sakura, or Cherry Blossom, is regarded as their national identity and the spirit of their nation?

Because here in Malaysia, when the landscaped Tabebuia rosea – a species we borrowed from Central and South America – bursts into overwhelming bloom, we proudly call it “Malaysian Sakura”.

Some local patriots even go a step further – calling it “Sakura Sabah”.

Yet history reminds us that the earliest documented planting of Tecoma trees was in the Penang Free Industrial Zone, from where it gradually spread across the country, eventually reaching Sabah.

Would the Japanese see this as botanical plagiarism?

Perhaps. But perhaps not.

After all, who can blame Malaysians for being so awed by a spectacle of beauty that so closely resembles Japan’s world-renowned Cherry Blossom?

When rows of Tecoma trees erupt in synchronised bloom, they transform into towering cascades of pink and white – “Blooming Towers” so densely packed from crown to base that they rival, if not momentarily imitate, the visual splendour of Sakura itself.

Electrifying Sight on Jalan Penampang & Luyang

By sheer chance, during a casual drive, a truly jaw-dropping, mind-blowing – even electrifying – sight caught my eyes.

About 30 Tecoma trees, planted along a 200-metre stretch between Lorong Baginda (Towering Industrial Centre) and Lorong Delima along Jalan Penampang, had blossomed in perfect unison – en masse.

Not one or two trees. Not scattered patches. But a full stretch – as though choreographed by nature itself.

Keep this in mind: this is, without doubt, one of the best spots in Kota Kinabalu to witness “Malaysian Sakura” when it next returns.

And it will return.

The next expected bloom could be around August to September, depending on another long dry spell hit by a sudden rain.

Equally stunning – and no less mesmerising – are six to seven “towers” along Jalan Kolam in Luyang, right behind Dr Philip Lyn Clinic. Smaller in number, perhaps – but no less astonishing.

What Triggers This Spectacle?

Many readers would naturally attribute this phenomenon to the March-April dry and hot spell, followed by rain during the tail end of the Northeast Monsoon, creates the ideal environmental conditions.

This year, the anticipation of a strong El Nino developing by mid June – may have further intensified the effect.

But this is only part of the story.

The Real Trigger: ‘Rapid Synchronisation’

The real trigger behind this unison blooming enmasse is what scientists describe as “Rapid Synchronisation”.

– meaning a long dry spell followed by a sudden rain-break, even light rain that changes soil moisture from dry to wet, triggers a surge in a plant hormone called Cytokinin and GA (Gibberellic Acid) in the root tips, which ‘awakens’ the tecome tree to produce a flush of flowers in 3 to 5 days.

The plant hormone, synthesized in the root tips, moves upward through the xylem or woody tissue and pass into the flowr buds, triggering the massive blooms all at the same time.  

That is why entire rows of trees bloom in unison – creating that rare, almost surreal visual impact.

A Beauty That Comes – And Goes – Quickly

But there is a poetic irony here.

Just like Japan’s Sakura, the Malaysian version shares the same fleeting nature.

The blooms, for all their grandeur, typically last only one to two weeks.

Heat, wind and rain can shorten that window even further.

Petals fall as quickly as they arrive – carpeting roads, drains and sidewalks in shades of pink and white, before disappearing almost without a trace.

A Moment Worth Noticing

In this first part of the series, we keep the report concise – allowing space to showcase the exceptionally beautiful “Malaysian Sakura” blooms photographed in Kota Kinabalu on April 26.

But a gentle caution to readers:

By the time you are reading this, these extraordinary blooms may already have vanished.

Such is their nature.

They arrive suddenly, overwhelm the senses – and then disappear within days or at most two weeks.

Leaving behind not just fallen petals…

…but a lingering sense of wonder.