I'm so surprised that 'Kanzan' are just opening out there. If you find that any of those open with white flowers, post them again corrected to 'Shirofugen'. That's what at that stage in Vancouver. Re the mystery trees, you know it's hard to tell without close-up blossom photos! Those look like double blossoms to me, is that right? If so, the first looks like it could be 'Amanogawa'. Are the blossoms facing up? And the other one, I'll guess 'Ichiyo'.
I'll see if I can return to those trees today. Meanwhile, you guys won't believe the stuff I've been seeing lately in Guildford. Kanzan-Tai Haku...hybrids!!!?!? Photo 1-3: Hybrid tree near 102a Ave and 154 St. Kanzan blossoms growing in middle portion of tai haku tree? Close-up shots included. Photo 4: Another kanzan in same area Photo 5: Row of 'kanzan' in front of McDonald's on 152nd St/102a Ave, although there's one tree here that is a hybrid but even more interesting; it is literally half tai haku (???) on one side and half kanzan on the other.
It's sweet cherry on the white side - Prunus avium, or mazzard cherry. That's what was used for the rootstock. It's very vigorous, and takes any opportunity to send up its own branches. If it's not stopped from doing that (by removing the growth from the trunk when it starts), it takes over the tree. You're seeing it at mid-takeover. Come back in a few years, and there won't be any 'Kanzan' left. There are a few large half-and-half trees in Vancouver, and lots at various stages of the takeover. That first one's a goner, though. Look on the back of the white flowers - you'll see circles rather than stars. You can just make that out in the photos. The sepals are there, but they're curled right back to the calyxes. That's a pretty useful way to distinguish the sweet cherries. There are lots of varieties of those, so they don't all look the same, and even the blossom size differs quite a bit.
These were from a few days ago but I know for a fact that these Shirofugen in front of Guildford pub are still going strong.
I can't imagine where that esthetic comes from, but it seems that most of the weeping cherries get haircuts like that, to look like umbrellas. Even the Vancouver Parks Board 'Beni-shidare' in Alexandra Park in the West End gets that treatment.
That is true, I had the same feeling. We have so many beautiful cultivars but what people did to them
57Ave and 144 Str. RCMP, Ministry of Public Safety, Court and so on 5 Kanzan, 5 Kanzan, 3 Kanzan trees along buildings
Sw corner of 152Str and 100Ave 15 Shirofugen trees(sepals are serrated just in the middle but not at the ends).
101A ave from 150 Str 10 Kanzan, one can be Pink Perfection and probably 2 more Pink Perfection across the street on shopping parking(check next year)
SE corner of 148Str 104Ave about 30 Kanzan trees around high-rise building and on parking lot. One or 2 trees look different(Pink Perfection?)
About 15 Akebono trees on 138Str from 70 Ave to 72 Ave, 3 on west side(shopping center) the rest are on east side(residence area)