Shaughnessy

Thank you so much, Wendy! Are you going to put it on the map?

 

I did that last night. So I checked again. Yes, it's there.

 

Laura and Wendy convinced me to take a look at the 'Takasago' on The Crescent.
Glad I went, it's beautiful.

 

The Yama-zakura on VanDusen Garden's Rhododendron Walk is in full bloom at April 23, 2023.



Recurved sepals on the blossoms.

 

Like its counterpart in Queen Elizabeth Park, the mature 'Somei-Yoshino' on VanDusen Garden's Rhododendron Walk has suffered setbacks this year.

It's making a valiant effort in front of the Yama-zakura with one blooming branch of blossoms at April 23, 2023.



Above that one branch is the blighted rest of the tree.

 

On VanDusen Garden's Autumn Stroll, Prunus avium 'Plena' is completely blocking sight of the massive Cedar behind it. In full bloom at April 30, 2023, with the recurved sepals completely clasping the calyces, and a clear view of umbel, not corymb, inflorescence.

 

Behind the Prunus avium 'Plena' on VanDusen Garden's Autumn Stroll, 'Ukon' is also in full bloom at April 30, 2023.



Its sepals are lifting off, but they don't clasp the calyces like Prunus avium 'Plena.'

 

In the Cherry Grove on VanDusen Garden's Great Lawn, the late-bloomers are in full bloom April 30, 2023.

Here is 'Ama-no-gawa'.


'Kuku-shidare-zakura'.


'Royal Burgundy'.

 

Tibetan Birchbark Cherry, Prunus serrula, is in full bloom on the far side of VanDusen's Great Lawn at April 30, 2023.



Flowers in umbels, fine hairs on calyces, and prominent lenticels on the bark exfoliating on both trunk and branches.

 

@Anne Eng has been posting the 'Royal Burgundy' at VanDusen for several years, but I had the idea it was a small tree, though she said in 2017, the year it was accessioned, that it was around 7 meters. So I was surprised today to see what a large tree it is. Shirley Willard is providing a height comparison.

 

Prunus incisa 'Little Twist'. in full bud along the winter walk at VD. It is very delicate and the flowers are quite small, but a beautiful, small tree. It was accessioned in 2014.

 

Whitcomb at Vandusen, It is a very very small tree, but the number of flowers on it......you could count on one hand. Nevertheless it is in bloom!

 

This looks like it will have a noticeable bloom; I just need to guess when.

 

There are several youngish 'Akebono' on Maple Street between 17th and 18th. What's curious is that the ones on the east side of the street are far behind in blooming compared to most other 'Akebono' in Vancouver. Buds are still deep red, very many not swelled up at all. One tree has one open flower. The trees across the street have good colour with many open flowers.


On East Boulevard north of 18th, this tree looks like it will be attractive. 'Shirotae'?


Another I can't identify yet, am thinking might be 'Yae-beni-shidare' is on the SE corner of 17th and East Boulevard.


That yard also has an 'Akebono' very nicely situated in the landscape.

 

March 25, 2024

[Oak Street, along the VanDusen fence]

Two old 'Spire', planted 45 years ago!!


And one relatively young 'Snow Goose'


{Edited}
This one is tall, and I couldn't get a close-up photo of the flowers.
There is no visible tag by VanDusen.
Wendy advised this looks like 'Akebono'.

 

March 25, 2024

[28th & Oak, by the entrance to BC Children's]

'Akebono' here, and more on both sides of this road.

 

That looks like 'Akebono' to me.
The 'Snow Goose' makes me sad. They're such nice trees to be low grafted or on their own roots.

 

Thanks Wendy, for the identification.

Speaking of the grafted Snow Goose, this is the park near my home. :(

 

And look at all that space- would be great for some wide-spreading trees like 'Shirotae' or 'Shiro-fugen' or even 'Akebono'. Who needs trees with such a narrow profile in a setting like this? And here in the West End, we get 'Shirotae' which are then pruned to be out of the way of parked cars and trucks. Having all our trees in bloom at once should put me in a better mood, but it's not working.

 

The 'Spire' sign is an error that VanDusen has yet to address. These trees are the two Sargent hybrids along Oak Street, as posted here on April 4, 2021. #178

 

VanDusen's 2023 new planting of a 'Washi-no-o' tree is already putting out eagle's-tail flowers at March 31, 2024. On the Great Lawn side of the Rhododendron Walk.

 

The Yama-zakura on VanDusen's Rhododendron Walk is in full bloom at March 31, 2024.



Together with its 'Umineko' neighbour that is also at full bloom, they form a Mount Everest look towering over the undergrowth.

 

It was almost mortally crippled by the early spring storms of 2023, but the 'Somei-Yoshino' on VanDusen's Rhododendron Walk refuses to give up. It may only have one arm left, but what an arm! Celebrating Easter Sunday, on March 31, 2024.

 

It is my sad duty to alert the Sakura Days Festival guides that the cherry outlook for VanDusen Sakura this year—is not promising.

Two weeks from the Festival, 'Akebono,' 'Somei-Yoshino', 'Snow Goose,' Yama-zakura, 'Umineko,' 'Beni-shidare' and the Sargent hybrids are already at full bloom.
'Tai-haku' and 'Snofozam' are approaching full bloom.

Be forewarned and prepared to deal with disappointments.

 

All the late season cherries might be in bloom in two weeks - no-one has ever seen those at Sakura Days. I'm expecting to see the cherries that were out on April 30 last year.