After months of snow, cold and grey skies, Canada earns the stripes of its overdue spring. Blossom season follows a rough west-to-east, south-to-north progression, while also depending on ever-changing and warming weather patterns. Case in point: this year magnolias bloomed as early as mid-March on the West Coast! Victoria tends to peak in late February to March, the Okanagan and Niagara in late April to mid-May, the Rockies and Nova Scotia through May and into June, PEI in May to June, and Quebec's orchards in May. It all amounts to paradise for anthophiles (aka flower enthusiasts), and simply beautiful for the rest of us.

Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia 

While the rest of Canada still wears their winter coats, the capital of British Columbia sprouts a riot of cherry blossoms. With over 40,000 ornamental cherry trees sprinkled across different neighbourhoods, parks and traffic circles, Victoria relishes its annual blossom season. The sweeping urban green space of Beacon Hill Park is the undisputed centrepiece of blossom fever and gets a lot of attention, but the entire city feels transformed. Across the channel, Vancouver puts on an equally dazzling display. Residential neighbourhoods are lined with flowering cherry and plum trees that transform ordinary streets into something magical. Cars frequently pull over to admire the view, and social media channels buzz. Vancouver's proximity to the Coastal Mountain Range adds an extra dimension of snow-capped peaks framing clouds of pink and white petals.

The Canadian Rockies: Wildflowers at Altitude 

Spring arrives later and leaves earlier in the Rockies, and the entire region is more spectacular for it. As the valleys thaw out in May and June, glacial meadows and mountain slopes ignite with the colour of different wildflowers. Yellow glacier lilies push through the last of the snow, purple pasqueflowers pop on exposed ridgelines, fields of paintbrush blaze in shades of orange and red. It's wild, unkempt, and a spectacular draw for visitors choosing spring over summer. Early season departures on GCT's Scenic Trails of the Rockies itinerary still catch this fleeting alpine display, allowing you to explore some of the most dramatic mountain scenery on the planet. Alpine wildflowers don't get the same Instagram attention as cherry blossoms, but they don't need it.

The Okanagan, British Columbia: Orchards in Full Bloom 

By late April and early May, entire hillsides erupt in white and pink as apple, peach, cherry and apricot orchards bloom with a vengeance. Explore the fertile stretch between Oliver and Kelowna and you'll understand why this valley was known for its stone fruits long before hip wineries showed up and stole all the credit. Early season departures on GCT's Kettle Valley Rail Trail roll through fragrant orchards and vineyards, which only get lusher and juicier as the season progresses.

Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia: Apple Blossom Country 

Each spring, a fertile corridor of orchards, farmsteads and tidal rivers tucked between two long ridges of hills erupts with apple blossoms. One of Canada's oldest farming regions has hosted the Apple Blossom Festival for over ninety years. Walking and cycling trails thread through the region, allowing one to travel slow enough to notice the pollinating bees, but fast enough to reach the next farm stand. Visitors can pair blossom season with a side trip to the Bay of Fundy to enjoy the world's highest tides (migrating whales only show up in summer). GCT's new Best of Nova Scotia by Bike itinerary kicks off in early June to take full advantage of the blossoming landscape.

Niagara, Ontario: Wine Country's Floral Preseason 

The fruit orchards of the Niagara Peninsula put on their own show before the wine grapes kick into gear. Come spring, pink and white blossoms atop peach, cherry, pear and plum trees blanket the region between St. Catharines and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Wine country in bloom is a different proposition from wine country in harvest. It's quieter and less crowded, with a sweet fragrance in the air. Early season departures on GCT's Niagara Wines and Waterfront Trail carry cyclists through blossom-lined orchards, lakeside vistas, and welcoming small towns waiting to be discovered from the saddle.

Prince Edward Island: Lupine Season 

While not blossom season in the orchard sense, Prince Edward Island's display of wildflowers in late May and June offers another form of floral theatre. The island's roadsides, coastal meadows and farmland are lined with bright purple lupines, with spikes of colour contrasting PEI's red earth, blue sky and sprawling green fields. The lupines stick around most of the summer too. Our Scenic PEI Cycle Experience rolls through this landscape of gentle terrain, coastal breezes, and the sort of coastal beauty that forever blooms in memory.

Quebec's Eastern Townships: Apple Blossoms and Artisan Everything 

If the Okanagan is the orchard heartland of western Canada, Quebec's Eastern Townships is its French-inflected counterpart. By May, the region's rolling hills and farmland pop with apple blossoms, transforming this fertile corner of the province. A foodie paradise, the Eastern Townships is home to award-winning micro-fromageries, artisan bakers, maple producers and cider makers. After a long, cold winter, most open their doors for the start of the year's farming and tourism season. You can catch all this as early as mid-May, when GCT’s Eastern Township Bicycle Route kicks off for the season. 

Ottawa, Ontario: A Gift That Keeps on Giving 

Ottawa has the most remarkable backstory of all Canada's blossom destinations. During the Second World War, the Dutch royal family took refuge in Canada. Princess Juliana gave birth to Princess Margriet in Ottawa, with the maternity ward of the Civic Hospital temporarily declared Dutch territory so the newborn child could officially hold Dutch citizenship. In gratitude, the Netherlands gifted Canada 100,000 tulip bulbs after liberation, and has sent thousands more every year since. Eight decades later, the result is the Canadian Tulip Festival, the largest tulip festival in the world. Over 300,000 tulips alone are planted in Commissioners Park along Dow's Lake, while the Rideau Canal pathway becomes one of the most spectacular urban strolls in the country. Flowers are still blooming during early season departures on our Rideau Heritage Trail itinerary. 

Robin Esrock is the bestselling author of The Great Canadian Bucket List.