Here is a somewhat ungainly-looking 'Shirotae' that is opening its flowers early. It's on the corner of a row of five historical houses on Helmcken at Richards.
Finally had access restored so will be doing multiple posts showing the progress of the earliest blooming akebono downtown at Jardines Lookout near the VPL Central Branch over the past few weeks to today when they are nearing the end.
These are the blossom buds back on March 5. First signs of spring when it was full on winter everywhere else downtown.
Two weeks later, the Jardines Lookout Akebono started to blossom while everywhere else was still quite dormant - Coopers Park, Marinaside Seawall, most of David Lam Park. View attachment 239353 View attachment 239354
Here are the still mostly dormant trees in Coopers Park, Marinaside Seawall and David Lam Park while the Jardine Lookout trees were starting to blossom on Mar 18-20.
Two weeks later on April 5-7, these akebono at Jardines Lookout were in full blossom. Earliest this year in Yaletown. (all done today April 16 though).
The complement to my confusion about what is going on with the early neighbourhood 'Whitcomb' this year is this tree at Devonian Harbour Park, with maybe 12 flowers. It was pretty much in bloom on Feb 21, 2020, though reported to not be looking all that good. So is it now in bloom and 12 flowers is all we're getting this year?
How old is it Wendy? I have found 40 years old for a lot of cherry's and then sadly the decline. Quite a few in my area have been replaced last Autumn and I remember them being planted 50 years ago. In the last couple of years they looked like that one in your photos. My Amanogawa died in the Autumn of 2023, it managed 38 years. But I have replaced it like for like.
I don't know, but it's old for a grafted 'Whitcomb'. Except for the youngster in the container in the West End thread, the 'Whitcomb' trees in my area seem to be on their way out. It's making it hard for me to know what to say about blooming dates.
I think if you get 40 years out of a Cherry then it has done extremely well. But as far as blossom is concerned, I think that a deterioration from around age 30 is to be expected. Succession planting is the only option. I hope you have a good flowering season over there Wendy. I do love all the photos from the contributors every year.
I strongly believe it would be part of the original planting of the park which would have been in 1985 +/- 1 year. Right at 40 years old as you note they start to decline.
It's been a tradition for me to post the first 'Akebono' flower found in the trees at Burrard Station, but I see no photos of those trees were posted at all last year. I found this single inflorescence today. This says absolutely nothing about when peak bloom will be. The interval between first flower and peak bloom has varied from 9 days to 28 days, with 17 being a popular interval. Most first flower postings have been in March. These buds are almost all showing some pink, which puts them a bit ahead of the ones shown on March 8, 2021 (at https://forums.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/threads/downtown.36035/page-15#post-403162).
Ok, these are just plastic but still a nice artwork display at Fairmont Pacific Rim. Akebono buds are about to pop just after the magnolias on Hamilton St near VPL.
The David Lam Park akebono are starting to blossom. Maybe they will be out celebrating Celticfest next weekend!
That photo was from two weeks ago. It has been cold, so there has not been much development since then. But temperatures this week of 10 C degrees and above will hurry things along. Here are photos from yesterday, Tuesday, March 12. Pedicels (flower stems) are mostly 1 cm long. The dead tree on the corner was removed in the last month. I think three other trees have been removed, and there is one more that should go. Today's photos show buds a little lighter in colour, pedicels a little longer. A few of the trees have small areas of open flowers.
The Akebono blossoms are making an appearance at Emery Barnes Park and Jardines Lookout on Hamilton Street near VPL Central. With the sun and warm temperatures, everything will be looking good this week.
Here are Burrard Station 'Akebono' trees from Thursday and Friday, March 14 and 15. March 14. Pedicel length is close to 2cm. Bud colour is getting lighter. March 15. Almost all trees have some flowers open.
All 4 of the Jardines Lookout Akebono are in full bloom on a warm sunny St. Patricks day. The many magnolia to the north blossomed a bit earlier and petals are starting to drop. Nice sight of snow covered north shore mountains in the distance.
