Looking for assistance with early identification of these trees which are not currently in bloom. In bloom photo was taken April 18 2009. Photos taken today include: bark, tree shape, buds forming. Location is Kiwanis Care Centre, Burr Place off Berkley Road North Vancouver. If anyone can identify before more bloom photos are available please do, otherwise I will post more photos when the trees come into bloom. Thanks Deborah Sim - new cherry scout
I'm wondering about 'Shosar', which are not in our book, but there is a thread on them, see Shosar - single pink, upright, mid-season, was: Is this Whitcomb?. It's too early for 'Rancho', which have no blossoms at all yet in Vancouver; Dingren has posted some blossoms this year on 'Shosar' in Richmond. If that's it, that will be only the second location we know around here. I can't even quite tell from your photo whether they're single blossoms. Definitely post some good blossom photos here when you can get at them.
I saw a superficially similar cherry in bloom at a Seattle garden center yesterday, I think it was this one. It may have been trucked up from Oregon recently and therefore ahead of when it would normally open in Seattle or Vancouver, there seems to be a northward progression in flowering times - I have gone to Portland to see trees that were just coming out in Seattle and found them at peak bloom or going over in Portland. And I have seen the same kinds that were full out in Seattle blooming later in Vancouver. It will be a lot easier to tell where the Vancouver planting fits when you show the flowers. http://www.jfschmidt.com/introductions/pinkflair/index.html
Ron, that description of Prunus sargentii 'JFS-KW58' Pink Flair® Cherry says Since sargentii and its hybrids are not flowering here yet, would that rule that out for these? North Van is typically colder, so even later blooming, than almost any place in Vancouver. I hope it's not that. I can never figure out how to write trademarked names.
Note that original post says last year's flowering of the planting in question was in the second half of April.
Thank you Ron for the website link to: Prunus sargentii 'JFS-KW58' 'Pink Flair® Cherry' The description looks very similar to the trees in question and as I go there everyday I will be taking photos as they bloom. The building opened in the late 1990's and I spotted the trees in the grand opening pictures - so that's another clue about these trees as I am concluding that they were planted as part of the original landscaping at that time.
That particular introduction may not be present in BC or have been present at the time of the planting, of course. But it could turn out to be another upright form of Sargent cherry or other upright cherry. If you look at a copy of Dr. Justice's Vancouver cherry tree guidebook when the planting blooms this year you may find the same kind in there.
Thanks, Ron. I totally missed that. That was from 2009, also a late year. I would have just said 'Rancho' in that case. I don't think Deborah ever leaves the house without Douglas's book.
Updated photos April 5th: Can you help further with the correct name(s) identification, I'm still not sure about these trees now that the blossoms are out. For illustration purposes I called these Sargent and/or Rancho for now. Do you think these are 2 different varieties, or perhaps one variety with the shorter ones suffering from some disease? There are approx. 12-15 of these slender upright trees adjacent to Kiwanis Care Centre, North Vancouver. Blooms are just out this week. These trees were planted in 1998 when the facility opened. Blossoms, petals etc. on all trees look the same to me, but there seem to be 2 varieties of trees based on shape, height and branch length. Possible Sargent Cherry ?? (1st 4 photos attached) Height – 2.5 storeys high Shape - upright vase shaped Branches - long slender upright branches ( this is the main difference from the 2nd set of trees which have very short branches) Blossoms - 5 bright pink petals, green center (I've forgotten all correct blossom terminology :) Leaves – emerging red with green backing Possible Rancho Cherry ?? (2nd 4 photos attached) Height - 1.5 storeys high Shape - more columnar in shape Branches - very short branches, blossoms seem to be forming almost right from the trunk of tree Blossoms – 5 bright pink petals, green centre Leaves – emerging red with green backing Split bark at bottoms of trunk on some trees, these trees looks stressed and somewhat unhealthy. Thanks in advance to Ron B. and Wendy and all other cherry sleuths!
I think they're all what we're calling 'Rancho'. The shape is right, and the bronze leaves with those green leaf margins distinguish them from other single pink trees we know. The second set are quite young, and there's a lot of brown rot on them. They have some longer branches at the top.