These 5 large trees are located just outside Park and Tilford Gardens in North Vancouver. - they are blooming later than Akebono's of similar size locally which are now losing their blossoms - these trees are not fully in bloom yet. - 2-3 branches start about 7 feet high off large sturdy trunks (so was unable to reach any blossoms) - photos of buds taken March 27th, the remainder today April 12th
The flowers look like 'Tai Haku', though the trees are looking particularly dense for that. Well, maybe four of them so close together would look dense like that. It would be this cultivar if the flowers are larger than 'Akebono' and the emerging leaves are bronze. The timing is right. If the blossoms were fragrant and not 5-6cm, come back.
Re: 5 Sturdy Tall Trees - Five White Petals - 'Tai Haku'? Thanks, I didn't turn that far forward in the Ornamental Cherries guide to see the photos of 'Tai Haku'. I left the cultivar on the map as "unknown" but think you have solved it Wendy (yet again!) I did notice the leaves emerging at the same time as the blossoms and from across the street the leaves look distinctly bronze, that was my first clue that these were different trees. There is some pink on the reverse of buds, almost like a streak. And yes, the flowers look larger than 'Akebono' and do have some ragged notched petals. As these 5 trees are planted just outside the Japanese pagoda area of Park and Tilford Gardens it makes sense that these could be "great white cherry" and planted as an extension of the garden as there are no cherry trees inside the garden grounds. They could have been pruned when young by the Park and Tilford gardens as they are planted quite close together which may have prevented a more wide spreading habit. As far as further identification via fragrance, I'll have to wait until some blossoms fall as the branches are too high to reach for the sniff test!
