First posting in 2008 I rode my electric bike around today to look at Cherries downtown. The buds are getting fat but no blossoms as yet. The Whitcomb cherry at the North foot of Denman street (by Bliss Bistro) is 50% in bloom. Once I figure out my new camera, I will post a picture.
Here are the photos of the Whitcomb Cherry at the North foot of Denman Street (front, back and closeup).
* Finished - Akebono Downtown - Burrard Skytrain Station We're expecting the Akebono blossoms at Melville St by the Burrard Skytrain Station. to be at peak bloom for the Cherry Jam at noon, March 25, the official opening of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. The first blossoms are out now.
Re: Downtown Akebono - Burrard Skytrain Station I'd expect 'Akebono' to be pinker at this stage of development. It and the other clone common here, sold simply as Yoshino cherry, separate out this way: Pink: 'Akebono' White: Yoshino
Re: Downtown Akebono - Burrard Skytrain Station These are fairly young trees, Ron, (planted, I think, in 1988 or 1989) and I understood that the newer trees in Vancouver were Akebonos and not Somei Yoshino. The flash fired on that photo, which could have made it appear more white.
Re: Downtown Akebono - Burrard Skytrain Station Regardless of the colour, they are 'Akebono'. We'll try to find some staminodes for the doubters. Some years, I think 'Akebono' appear less pink, although that might be my faulty memory. In this location, which is quite shaded and a significant heat island (within the downtown heat island), it doesn't surprise me that they might look unusual.
Re: Downtown Akebono - Burrard Skytrain Station For the scouts (and anyone else who doesn't speak Douglas's language yet), "staminodes" are incomplete (extra) petals that show up on some of the Akebono blossoms. You can see one front-and-centre on Douglas's second photo in his Photo of the Day article from last year.
Re: Downtown Akebono - Burrard Skytrain Station Update March 9 on status of blossoms at Burrard Skytrain station See the photos below. There are a few branches with blossoms, mainly on 3 trees on the South side of the station, across from the Hyatt hotel. Otherwise, the trees are full of swelling buds.
March 9, 2008 Another picture of the Whitcomb cherry at the North foot of Denman St. The tree is in full bloom, no falling petals so far.
Re: Downtown Akebono - Burrard Skytrain Station March 16, 2008. I took a few more pictures which I will post on Monday. Basically, there a very few fully opened blossoms out since the last photos but all the flower buds are full and showing pink so I think that in 2 or 3 more days, there will be a good show.
Re: Downtown Akebono - Burrard Skytrain Station OK, got a Burrard Station staminode from afar. But the more pressing question is: this bud photo from today, March 18, doesn't seem much more advanced than Anne's two days ago, and it's what most of the West End Akebonos look like. So will there be blossoms on the 23rd, or should I reroute my walk to be a plum blossom walk? I'm being pressured to get the route map done by the 20th.
Re: Akebono Downtown - Burrard Skytrain Station The Cherry Blossom Walk was held on Mar 23 and started at Burrard Station. The pictures below are of Wendy Cutler playing Easter Parade on her Ukulele, some of the walkers admiring the blossoms on the East side of Burrard Station and a view from East to West of the tree canopies which appear to be in 10% bloom.
Re: Downtown - Akebonos The major downtown Akebono hits are Burrard Skytrain Station and Grosvenor Plaza on Alberni. Here's a nice little allee of Akebonos near False Creek, south of Pacific between Hornby and Howe. These seem a bit ahead of the West End ones. I saw one small Akebono in the West End (which is just west of downtown) that had a single open blossom.
Re: * POSTED - Akebono Downtown - Burrard Skytrain Station I took these pictures of the Akebono's during the slushstorm. Some were taken from a balcony on the 4th floor of the Hyatt Regency. Note that there is one tree with flowers that are much lighter than the others- this was the first tree to blossom. All the tree are in full bloom.
Re: * POSTED - Akebono Downtown - Burrard Skytrain Station Still looking great and you can really get a sense of the "tunnel effect" they make. There are now a few dainty green leaves peeking out between the blossom. This has certainly been a longer bloom period than usual, I imagine due to the cold. The third picture shows a litter of petals knocked down by the recent rain. I loved seeing Anne's view from above.
There's a beautiful cherry tree (somei yoshino?) in front of the Boseman Hotel just north of Helmcken on Howe Street. I got this photo with my cell phone, but I'll be back there on Saturday and will try to get a decent shot.
The grove of young Shirotaes in Helmcken Park at NW corner of Pacific Boulevard and Cambie Street are just past their peak bloom on April 18, 2008. Some of the blossoms are showing a reddish tinge at the bottom of the petals.
Re: Strathcona - Ukons in Crab Park There are two Ukons in this park off the north end of Main Street. The map says it's called Portside Park, but the sign at the entrance says Crab Park.
