Strathcona

Discussion in 'VCBF Neighbourhood Blogs' started by Laura Blumenthal, Mar 17, 2008.

  1. Laura Blumenthal

    Laura Blumenthal Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    First posting in 2008

    I found this beautiful specimen at Union & Hawks Sts. on the Vancouver Walking Meetup Group's walk yesterday. Unfortunately, my photos aren't great because 1) the light wasn't great, and 2) we were in a rush to keep moving - maybe somebody else could go by and get a better shot.

    20080316_Union&Hawks_Blumenthal_292.jpg 20080316_Union&Hawks_Blumenthal_293.jpg

    Here's the map:

    union&hawks.jpg
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 30, 2009
  2. Joseph Lin

    Joseph Lin Active Member 10 Years

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    These Accolades bloom beautifully on Pender Street (Campbell to Princess Ave.) even in the rainy day.
     

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  3. Joseph Lin

    Joseph Lin Active Member 10 Years

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    You can also find two Shirotae on east side of Campbell Ave. at Keefer St..
     

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  4. Joseph Lin

    Joseph Lin Active Member 10 Years

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    I would like to know what kind of flower it is. These two special trees are located in the front garden of 795 East Pender St. house. The flowers though small (diameter around 1.5 cm) have pearl-like white with tiny green leaves.
     

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  5. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    The last are plum trees, probably Japanese (Prunus salicina). Plum trees are very common as people plant them for fruit, they also come up as suckers from rootstocks (as when purpleleaf plums are planted on cherry plum (P. cerasifera) roots. European plum (P. domestica) also spreads by creeping roots and pops up away from the parent tree.
     
  6. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Hey, no fair! We have rules - plums have a single stem from the branch and Joseph's Pender St. photos show inflorescences with two stems.
     
  7. Douglas Justice

    Douglas Justice Well-Known Member UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society 10 Years

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    Ron may have something here. Note the top-middle image, which clearly shows the unfurling (not unfolding) very fuzzy (!) leaves. I'm also convinced that it's a plum, but I'll reserve judgement on the species until I can see these flowers up close and personal. Perhaps Joseph can get permission to nip off a piece for us to look at on Monday night at Blossom Biology.
     
  8. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Re: Strathcona Plums

    I guess Joseph's white flowers don't look all that different from my friend's damson plum, except they're prettier. It's harder on the Strathcona tree to see if the stems are single or inflorescences - maybe they're optical illusions, or maybe they're not following the rules.
     

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  9. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Re: Strathcona - concern for the Memorial Cherry Trees in Oppenheimer Park

    The festival received the following email regarding the eleven 30-year-old Japanese Canadian Centennial Memorial cherry trees in Oppenheimer Park and the City's Oppenheimer Park Renewal Plan.

    From: Yuko Shibata <shibatay@interchange.ubc.ca>
    Date: Tue, Apr 15, 2008 at 1:19 AM
    Subject: RE: Cherry trees in the Oppenheimer Park
    To: info@vcbf.ca


    Dear Clara,

    I was at the Sakura Day, April 3rd. It was wonderful. I do thank you and your colleagues for the wonderful event. Would you please forwarding this mail to Ms. Linda Poole, Festival Director. Thank you.

    Today I am writing on behalf of Tonari Gumi (Japanese Volunteers' Association) <http://www.jcva.bc.ca/index.html> about the future of eleven 30-year-old Japanese Canadian Centennial Memorial cherry trees in Oppenheimer Park. They were not in your Flowering Cherry Tree Map of Vancouver.

    This picture does not indicate that these Sakura are in Vancouver Eastside. They are very beautiful.
    20080411_OppenheimerPk_Akebono_Tamura_0079.jpg
    The Nikkei Memorial Cherry Trees and Memorial Rock in Oppenheimer Park, Vancouver, B.C. April 11, 2008 (Photo by Mr. Fumio Tamura)

    At present their future is in danger due to the City's Oppenheimer Park Renewal Plan. For your information, I shall paste here the issue paper below. The Borad of Directors of Tonari Gumi (Japanese Community Volunteers Association) unanimously supported the idea. Please share this information with your friends and colleagues.

    Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

    Sincerely yours,

    Yuko Shibata
    (Chair of Tonai Gumi)

    Yuko Shibata, Ph.D.
    Research Associate

    Centre for Japanese Research
    Institute of Asian Research
    University of British Columbia
    1855 West Mall
    Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z2 CANADA

    Tel: 604-822-0856; Fax: 604-822-5207
    E-mail: shibatay@interchange.ubc.ca

    *****
    Save the Legacy of Sakura: Cherry Trees
    The Japanese Canadian Seniors Planted 21Sakura
    On the "Powell Ground": Oppenheimer Park
    In Commemoration of the Japanese Canadians' Centennial in Canada

    Background
    The City of Vancouver has a plan to revitalize the Powell Street area (old Japantown) and is currently conducting a historical and cultural analysis, which includes a community consultation process. Also known as 'Little Tokyo', the area was the centre of the once-thriving Japanese Canadian Community. Today, some returnees – e.g. Vancouver Buddhist Church, Vancouver Japanese Language School & Japanese Hall and some area residents – continue to be active in the community. A number of Japanese Canadian community agencies and individuals are being interviewed for their thoughts and input on historical, cultural and spiritual values. The outcome of this study is expected to influence their Oppenheimer Park Development Plan. It may come with a drastic redesign of the park.

    Memorial Cherry Trees and Rock
    Tonari-Gumi (Japanese Community Volunteers Association) was born in the area in 1974 and has worked since with Nikkei pioneer seniors. The organisation was heavily involved in coordinating their centennial celebration programs and events in 1977. One such festivity was the Powell Street Festival. Also, another commemorative project involving issei pioneers was to plant memorial cherry trees on the Powell Ground and in Stanley Park. The project was fully supported by the Park Board. On April 16, 1977, the Japanese Canadian Centennial Tree-planting ceremony was held in conjunction with the inaugural opening ceremony of the much-upgraded Oppenheimer Park. Over 70 Nikkei seniors participated in the Tree-planting ceremony and planted 8 cherry trees in the easterly part of the park, in addition to the 13 others planted earlier by the Park Board employees on behalf of Nikkei seniors. The Park Board extended their help in relocating a huge rock from its original place on the perimeter of Nanaimo Street, so that Nikkei pioneers could place it as the Memorial Rock in the landscape. They installed a plaque on the face of the rock with the Tonari-Gumi logo and Japanese poetry engraved on it. The project concluded with three additional cherry trees planted by two surviving veterans of World War 1, Mr. Kiyoji Iizuka and Mr. Ryoichi Kobayashi, at the site of the Japanese Canadian Cenotaph in Stanley Park. The Tonari-Gumi seniors planted 24 memorial cherry trees altogether. The proceeds from the Centennial lottery sales and individual donations collected within the Japanese community enabled Tonari-Gumi to purchase cherry trees imported from Japan. These varieties of trees were chosen because of their strong role in Japanese culture. The cherry blossom, Sakura, is the national flower of Japan and the cherry tree is the central character in the annual spring festival Hanami, flower viewing, which commemorates the fleeting beauty of nature. This custom is now celebrated with many Vancouverites during the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival introduced in 2006. The cherry blossom is also a ubiquitous theme in traditional Japanese art, crafts, and artisan foods.

    Save the Legacy of Cherry Trees
    Currently, there are about a dozen of the surviving memorial cherry trees on the Powell Ground and two near the Cenotaph in Stanley Park. Every spring, their blossoms bring back memories of Japan and the spirit of Japanese Canadian pioneer immigrants.
    We have no doubt that the City and Heritage Vancouver will take this into consideration and give the highest priority in saving those memorial cherry trees and the memorial Rock in the Oppenheimer Park. However, the Nikkei community should be aware of this legacy and ensure that the future design of the park will not endanger the site of our heritage. Furthermore, the Nikkei community should work together to get this site designated an official heritage site.

    March 25, 2008
    (Prepared by Takeo Yamashiro)
     
  10. Anne Eng

    Anne Eng Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    * Finished - Avium Plena - Strathcona, Terminal Ave at Main

    Festival Favorite #39, Avium Plena. Three trees in bloom, Thornton Park at Main and Terminal, in front of Pacific Central Station on April 25, 2008. Double blossoms with ruffled edges and reflexive sepals. Some blossoms seem to have 2 green stamens that look like they're mutating into leaves.
     

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  11. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    * Finished - Kanzan - Strathcona, Union St from Campbell to Raymur

    Kanzans on Union from Campbell to Raymur are a 2008 VCBF Festival Favourite. Photos were sent to me by Gail Rice.
    20080501_campbell_kanzan_rice_012.jpg 20080501_raymur_kanzan_rice_008.jpg 20080501_UnionCampbell_Kanzan_Rice_010.jpg 20080501_Union_Kanzan_Rice_004.jpg
    43Kanzan-Strathcona.gif
     
  12. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Shirofugens go halfway around this building, completely along Gore and Union. The ones on the south half of the block along Gore have had their branches chopped off about halfway. It's hard to imagine why, or why the others haven't been similarly ruined. It's a lot of Shirofugens in one place - Laura was awestruck by them when she went by on the bus.
     

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  13. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Accolades - Strathcona, E. Pender St.: Princess to Campbell Ave.

    The "early March" Accolades might put in an appearance this year by the beginning of April.
    05-AccoladePender.gif
     
  14. jamor

    jamor Member VCBF Cherry Scout

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    Terminal Ave. - FIRST POSTING FOR 2009

    First posting in 2009

    There are four Whitcomb trees in front of this building, just east of Main Street.
     

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    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 18, 2009
  15. jamor

    jamor Member VCBF Cherry Scout

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    East Pender Street

    Although theses Accolades show only a hint of blossom, when you get up close in a sheltered area near a house or another tree, then some branches are full of pink life. There are 31 trees lining both sides of the street along these three blocks, between Princess and Campbell. And what a bonus here! The architecture of these older homes makes the viewing of the trees even more interesting. Every building different ... a slice of Vancouver's history. But it won't be long before the houses take second place to the trees at the peak of their bloom.
     

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  16. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Re: Accolades - Strathcona, E. Pender St.: Princess to Campbell Ave.

    My friend Kate Gerson sent me photos she took today of these trees. Looks like it's time to pay them a visit.
     

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  17. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Re: Strathcona - Oppenheimer Park Sakura

    It looks like the hotspot in the city is not Kits, but rather Strathcona. My friend Kate Gerson sent along these photos from Oppenheimer Park, taken with her cellphone. See posting #9 to read about the history of these trees. I hadn't realized there were both Somei-yoshino and Akebonos there. Kate says :
    The trees in Oppenheimer Park did appear to be 2 different kinds - one type (the ones I photographed) that are in a cluster at the east end of the park and are more mature. They are more advanced in their blooming. The others are much younger, are in a line cutting diagonally through the park, and are not open yet. I would estimate they are about a week or more behind.
    So I'd guess these are the Somei-yoshino.
     

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    Last edited: Apr 9, 2009
  18. Joseph Lin

    Joseph Lin Active Member 10 Years

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    The Legacy Sakura of Oppenheimer Park were saved!

    In only one week, many naturalists, organizations and parks commissioners expressed their concerns on this issue. This is one example of the conservation successes we can make, if we work close together. Our affection for sakura should not only be limited on its beauty, but also include our memory, legacy and culture. If we can care for our neighbourhood and community, we can learn more from these beautiful sakura and leave more heritage for our generations to come. (by Joseph Lin on May 13, 2008)

    Joseph Lin edited and sent the followingh message to more than 1,000 naturalists and tens of organizations and media on May 8, 2008.

    Dear Commissioner Korina Houghton,
    I would like to ask you to look into the following issue of cutting the heritage cherry trees at Oppenheimer Park. On behalf of Green Club, I would like to urge our city to change the decision of uprooting the legacy trees at Oppenheimer Park. Since these cherry trees will not cause public danger now, you don't have to against the public concern to remove them. As the public servants, you always need to follow the community's strong concern as your first priority. For a urban park in the well developed and sustainable city, healthy environment should be the first consideration, harmony multicultural heritage the second, safe function the third, and beautification the last. Without heritage, we leave only a play ground to our future generation, but not pride & good memories. (by Joseph Lin on May 10, 2008)

    Response from Vancouver Parks Board
    Thank you so much for your email to Commissioner Houghton in regards to the Sakura cherry trees at Oppenheimer Park. On Thursday (May 8) and Saturday (May 10) our staff have met with representatives of the Coalition group to discuss options to the current design.

    Two options have been presented that save all the cherry trees and a third option saves all but three of the trees. There are advantages and disadvantages associated with each of the options. Each option affects different stakeholders differently and we are a seeking a solution that achieves the maximum amount of consensus.

    In the coming weeks we are continuing our dialogue with both the Coalition group as well as the broader Park Committee, which has representation from all the stakeholders with an interest in the park. Our search for a equitable solution is a high priority and your input in the matter is appreciated. (by Piet Rutgers, Director of Planning and Operations, Vancouver Park Board on May 12, 2008)

    Akebono--hope for the bright future!

    More info at http://www.greenclub.bc.ca/Chinese/...ure_Appreciation/Japan/Cherry_Fest/memory.htm
     
  19. mdrutz

    mdrutz Member

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    Taken April 9, 2009. Hawks at Union Street.
     

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  20. mdrutz

    mdrutz Member

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    Taken April 9, 2009. Hawks at East Georgia Street.
     

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  21. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    There's a celebration in that park on April 19, 2009:

    Legacy Sakura Celebration at Oppenheimer Park, presented by the Coalition to Save the Legacy Sakura of Oppenheimer Park, Oppenheimer Park Staff, and the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. In 1977, Japanese Canadian Issei pioneers planted 21 Sakura in the Park to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Canada’s first known immigrant from Japan. Those trees are now known as Legacy Sakura and they symbolize the perseverance and determination of early Japanese Canadian pioneers. On this day, we will honor and celebrate the spirit of those Issei through a special viewing of Linda Ohama’s documentary “Haru wa Akebono” and enjoying musical performances by Kozue Matsumoto (Japanese Koto), Harry Aoki (Jazz), Oppenheimer Park Drummers (First Nations Drummers) and Shinobu Homma (Taiko). For more information please visit http://legacysakura.wordpress.com/ or email legacysakura@yahoo.co.jp.
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2009
  22. Joseph Lin

    Joseph Lin Active Member 10 Years

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    On April 10,

    Accolades fully bloomed on Pender St. From Princess St. to Campbell St. You can see few Akebonos too.
     

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  23. kategerson

    kategerson Member

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    Here's an update of the trees in Oppenheimer Park from Monday the 13th. The cluster of more mature trees at the east end of the park appear to be several different varieties - 2 types that are open now, one of which is pinker - let's call it type A (one tree only), the others are paler - type B (I think there are 3 of these). You can see both types in this picture.
    090413_oppenheimer_kgerson_2.jpg

    The row of younger trees in a diagonal line through the park are also now open, but were a few days behind the more mature ones at the east end. The diagonal row appear to be similar to the paler ones, but further behind in opening. They're in the background of this shot.
    090413_oppenheimer_kgerson_1.jpg

    Wendy tells me that usually younger trees open earlier than more mature trees, so this led me to believe that these younger ones are a 3rd variety (type C).

    Any thoughts from the experts?

    Type A: 090413_oppenheimer_kgerson_3.jpg Type B 090413_oppenheimer_kgerson_4.jpg 090413_oppenheimer_kgerson_5.jpg

    See my next posting for Type C.
     
    Last edited: Apr 15, 2009
  24. kategerson

    kategerson Member

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    Further to my previous posting on the trees in Oppenheimer Park, these are the trees in the diagonal row- what I am calling "type C".
     

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    Last edited: Apr 15, 2009
  25. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    I think Kate is looking for more of an expert to answer her questions, but for what it's worth, the darker tree (Type A) in the first of the two recent postings is Akebono and the lighter trees (Type B) are Somei-yoshino. The Somei-yoshino blossoms are smaller and have a larger star pattern in the centre (Mariko and I go by the star thing - I think Douglas just rolls his eyes when we mention that, so you might want to discount that). I imagine I can see some staminodes in the bottom right quadrant of the Type A blossom photo, which would make that Akebono.

    In the second of this pair of postings, the Type C trees are also Akebonos that have been in bloom longer than the type A tree, so the colour is bleached out of the blossoms. There is a good staminode shot in the middle photo.

    I think the question is: "is every spreading tree with single white or pinky-white blossoms and staminodes an Akebono? Type A and Type C look quite different". So far, all we know is Akebono, and we haven't learned anything about there being more than one type of 'Akebono'. I had that question too at the Rose Garden, where the young Akebonos were in bloom last weekend, and are totally healthy, and the old Akebonos were not at all open and have witches broom.
     

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