LOOK: Philippines' Own Version of Sakura Are in Full Bloom Near Manila
Masungi Georeserve is home to many salinggongon trees.
(SPOT.ph) Japan is all the rave nowadays, especially with the sakura or cherry blossom trees in full bloom for their season of spring. But you don't need to travel far to take beautiful photographs of pink flora. Masungi Georeserve is now teeming with the pink bloom of the salinggogon tree (Cratoxylum formosum). You can see it for yourself when you book a half-day hike for P1,500/head (weekdays) or P1,800/head (weekends) at the popular conservation area in Baras, Rizal.
The Philippines' Cherry Blossom
Japan’s famous sakura tree (Prunus serrulata) thrives in cool weather following a season of below-zero temperatures in that part of the world. So, you can't really expect to grow them in a tropical country like the Philippines. There's also the danger of negatively affecting an ecosystem when a foreign species is introduced into an area. In fact, this was a concern among environmentalists when around 40 Japanese sakura trees were planted in Atok, Benguet in 2016.
As a biodiverse region, the Philippines is already home to thousands of native as well as endemic plants that share similarities with the sakura tree, most obvious of all are of course their pastel-colored and delicate blooms. We have the purple flowers of the Philippine teak (Tectona philippinensis), cream petals of salimbobog (Crateva religiosa), pink-purple blooms of banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa), and, if you make your way to the georeserve in Rizal, you can spot the bright pink flowers of salinggongon (Cratoxylum formosum).
The salinggogon tree, in particular, can grow up to 65 feet tall, with known specimens growing up to over 140 feet, according to Masungi Georeserve. It is native to the Philippines, but not endemic—meaning it can also be found in other tropical countries like Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The pink flowers bloom during the dry season, which we're currently in, so you may want to book a hike over there ASAP.
Masungi Georeserve is at Garden Cottages, Kilometer 45 Marcos Highway, Baras, Rizal. Rates start at P1,500. For more information, visit Masungi Georeserve's website.