The very unusual flowers on this tree immediatly caught my attention. I had to drive around the block and double park to get these pictures. Probably more pictures than needed for an ID but I had to.
Looks like Albizia julibrissin. Common name silk tree. http://images.google.com/images?q=a...1I7SUNA_en-GB&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi
Thanks. Must not be a very common tree in Vancouver or I have been looking at it and not really seeing it. If that makes any sence.
Ditto to Silk Tree. You must be close to its limits of climatic tolerance, it needs reliably hot summers to grow well.
"It's common here, reaching about 45' x 6 1/2' at best, then usually dying - or being chain-sawed into such ugliness as ought to be illegal. After a frost or two in November, Silk Tree becomes "sulk tree," appearing forlorn and bedraggled, like a fancy new hairstyle caught in a thundershower. While other trees exult in vibrant autumn color, it pouts, limp and miserable, drably aching for its more tropical homeland" --A.L. Jacobson, TREES OF SEATTLE - SECOND EDITION
In spite of what Jacobson says about the late autumn appearance, these Albizia are nice looking trees in the summer, though they're late to get leaves and don't bloom till August, so I guess for most of the year here they look either dead or dying. Greg, the tree you photographed looks beautiful. There are a few around the West End and Stanley Park. Our building's four o'clock club gets excited about them every year when they come into bloom. Here's one along the path just past the Rose Garden in Stanley Park. This one is more colourful than any of the others I've seen. You can see the blossoms easily from across the garden.
Maybe it's just as well. This Central Texas Invasive plants document has Albizia julbrissin as a "don't plant", and besides, has a toxicity warning that says "Produces a neurotoxin in seed pods that can cause seizures and even death upon ingestion. Pets especially susceptible."
