The previous posting was from two days ago. I'm calling these Burrard Station trees just about phot0-ready now. The blossoms at David Lam Park were Puffy Pale Pink this morning. With today's high of 14C degrees, and still above 10C for the next two days, these flowers could be convincing for the opening party in the park on Saturday.
Yes, they did it. All these trees are supposed to be 'Akebono'. Quite pink as they come into bloom, and still with pink when the flowers do open. That this one tree is 'Somei-yoshino' was very obvious. This was probably not part of the original planting, but it would have come in with others when it was planted, but there is not another one of these in the park. It was more starkly white than shows up in my habit photo, but the larger stars are evident. Some of these flowers seem unusually large.
Remember this was done at the celebration event a few years ago with Linda Poole. If you look back on this thread, you can see the photos of the planting
The ‘Shirotae’ on the east side of the Westin Hotel are sheltered against a concrete wall and they have just started to bloom.
Also on the east side of the Westin Hotel is a young tree which I am guessing is a ‘Yae-beni-shidare’.
That was last Wednesday. Even on Friday, I thought I could wait until Monday to get a photo of the peak bloom, but no, on Monday, they're past peak bloom now.
April 4, 2025 David Lam Park - 'Akebono' (mostly) Last year when I came to the park I had very clearly missed the sakura, so I was excited to see what the park looked like this year :)
Vivian LE just posted these trees on Facebook - I'm posting this photo with her permission - as beautiful with the autumn leaves as they were in the spring with blossoms.
Fot the Chinese New Year of the Fire Horse, the first Akebono blossom leads the parade with many buds about to burst at Jardine's Lookout just south of the VPL main branch. Warm wet weather this year seems to be encouraging lots of other flowers to show too.
Thanks, @yaletowner for reminding me to look for the first flower on the 'Akebono' trees at Burrard Station. It's here. The first photo is from one of the original trees; second photo is from a young tree next to the street. Pink tips are showing on many of the buds. Three years had earlier dates when the first blossom was photographed. As you can see by the discrepancy in time from first bloom to peak bloom, this date of the first blossom photo means nothing.
Yes, a week later and there is now only 2 blossoms at Jardine's with just lots of buds waiting for maybe sun and warmth to blossom. Oh well
March 5, Burrard Station trees are at the elongation of pedicels (flower stems) stage, with the general length being around 1 cm. Petals are getting lighter in colour, but there is no overall impression of pink from a distance yet. Note the hairiness of the pedicels in the last photo.
And now with heavy rain and warm temperatures, the Jardine blossoms have appeared for the Rugby 7 fans to enjoy
One of the Akebono at Emery Barnes along Davie Street is leading the other two there in blossoming. Jardine's now has many nice blossoms with petals falling.
Thanks, @yaletowner. So the festival opening party on the last weekend this month might be OK - 'Akebono' snow if nothing else. My walk the next weekend should have no 'Akebono', but would have mid-season blooms.
Burrard Station yesterday was not at peak bloom, but it was open for viewing, of interest to photographers.
Quite the variation in micro climates in Yaletown with the Akebono in David Park mostly still in bud with only a few blossoms while the three Akebono at Coopers Park at the north end of the Cambie Bridge closer to False Creek don't show even buds and are still in full winter dormant mode. The earthquake remediation underway could be disturbing them.
