Flower fever: Explore ‘Vancouver’s best magnolia season yet’ on a guided walk this weekend

It’s nearly April, which means Vancouver’s first wave of cherry blossoms has transformed the city into a sea of light pink, bright yellow daffodils line the neighbourhood streets, and the fragrant aroma of magnolias wafts through the air. If the latter is calling your name, you’re in luck. Vancouver’s magnolias are approaching their peak bloom period this upcoming weekend, and the UBC Botanical Garden has released additional time slots for its popular Magnolia Walk!

Vancouver’s best magnolia season yet

“We’ve been very, very lucky this year,” explains Douglas Justice, associate director of Horticulture and Collections at the UBC Botanical Garden, in a recent video at the garden. “We not only had a mild winter, which means that we have early magnolias, but it stayed very cool, and that means that the flowers open slowly and last much longer.”

Justice reveals that these conditions have created what might just be “Vancouver’s best magnolia season yet.”

He explains that the bloom process for magnolias is very slow and depends on temperature.

“If you’re looking at the buds of the magnolias, you can see that there are various sorts of coverings,” Justice says. These “bud scales” are called perules. Once you start spotting these on the ground, you’ll know that the flowers are about to open.”

After the first guided Magnolia Walk (April 11, 2026) at the UBC Botanical Garden completely sold out, the garden added two additional walks on Saturday, April 4, 2026, just in time for the flowers’ peak and the long weekend.

So if you’re curious about what makes these incredible blooms tick, and want to be there when they’re at their fullest, it’s a good idea to snag a ticket sooner rather than later.

How much are tickets?

GA tickets are available to the public at $20 a pop, while Concession spots are available to UBC students, faculty, and staff, Garden Members, UNA Residents, Youth (ages 13-17), and Seniors (ages 65+) for $18 per person.

Two walks will take place on April 4: one at 10 a.m. and another at 1 p.m.

Even if you can’t make it for the guided walk, it’s worth slowing down this week to enjoy the magnolias at their peak.

Magnolia Walk with Associate Director Douglas Justice 

When: Saturday, April 4, 2026
Time: 10 to 11:30 a.m., and 1 to 2:30 p.m.
Where: 6804 SW Marine Dr.
Cost: $20 for GA, $18 for Concession

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