I think that this is a Takasago, but Wendy can correct me. My attention was taken by the leaves that looked like a Venus flytrap, with a small crab like feature in the middle of the leaves. It can be found on Cardero just West of Barclay
It's definitely a thing to have lights on downtown 'Shirotae'. This location outside the Sutton Place Hotel on Burrard St seems like downtown, but it's on the West End side of Burrard. I forget now how many there are of these trees here, six or seven, plus one 'Ukon' with some open flowers. The other West End 'Ukon' trees are not at all in bloom yet. Here is the first 'Kanzan' flower. It's the only 'Kanzan' flower open right now, but the others are pretty close, so these are not late at all.
The Kanzan on W Georgia between Burrard St and Bute St. were blooming nicely at the start line for the 40,000 Sun Runners, Walkers (and spectators) doing the 10K route. Westward down the hill past Bute St., blooms were done.
"Done" as in knocked off by the construction? There's no way 'Kanzan' can be finished. They're still opening and it hasn't been warm enough to get them to drop petals early. Maybe too cold and they're dropping whole flowers, or the wind has knocked them off.
West on W Georgia past Bute, the trees are still there but now full of green leaves. Those trees seem to benefit more from the afternoon sun (when we get it) and/or slightly lower elevation and/or fewer tall office towers to shade them so it was quite a distinctive change in the microclimate. I took a picture looking west from the same spot I took one of the earlier ones looking east.
I mis-interpreted "blooms" to mean 'Kanzan'. The trees in front of the building that are indeed finished are 'Akebono'. I don't know what the trees are lining the street.
The 'Ama-no-gawa' outside the liquor store at Bute and Alberni are just past their prime. On one tree, the growth on the trunk and from the ground makes it seem that it is not grafted, but on the other side of the tree at the ground is telltale new avium rootstock growth. I think it's four 'Kanzan' guarding the entrance to a mini-park at Broughton and Nelson, with two more of these trees outside Gordon Neighbourhood House.
Look what's been done to my favourite 'Kanzan' tree on Pendrell at Thurlow. First photo is from 2010, second one from today.
The Sandpiper condo building on Comox at Bidwell has several 'Kanzan' trees on the property. We used to just see the tops of them, but the building had their border shrubs removed last year and the replacements have not grown enough to obscure the garden yet. There are several 'Kanzan' street trees around here, so the block quite nice right now.
The 'Shiro-fugen' in Stanley Park are at peak bloom now. Also at peak bloom are the 'Kiku-zakura' on the north side of Robson west of Gilford. The two 'Kanzan' in this photo are not much to look at up close, but they look more appealing than they should from a distance, in Devonian Harbour Park. This lady guards Devonian Harbour Park.
That was night - this was day. An owner in the same building pointed out how poorly the earlier-blooming 'Whitcomb' cherries are doing. These are the only leaves on the trees. The 'Shiro-fugen' at the Aquatic Centre are also looking excellent.
Everything that's in bloom has been in bloom for a while, and they're all well past peak bloom, but they're still a treat to see and are offering up some pretty sights. Here is the 'Shiro-fugen' at the Sylvia - I guess you can tell that. This is a lovely 'Shiro-fugen' in good shape on Haro at Chilco.
The 'Kiku-zakura' still looks great from a distance, and some areas look good up close. The upper story parts of the two-story flowers are pretty much open now, so some of the flowers are perfect pompoms. The 'Shujaku' near Lost Lagoon is well past its peak, but it still has some colour.
'Whitcomb' in the Wind by Willard posted Feb 9, 2018 at 8:33 AM And the season begins...cherry scouting with Wendy Cutler at Kensington Place on Nicola, north of Beach.