There is a pretty double row of Kanzan along Oak Street just in front of Vancouver General Hospital which are opening. While I was admiring them, I noticed that one tree has had something else grafted on, and one long branch has pure white flowers! The tree with the added graft is the furthest south, and nearest the street.
It's sort of a Vancouver Special - the white flowers are from the avium rootstock. Now that you know to look for them, you'll start seeing lots of them around. Sometimes, the avium takes over the whole tree, so if you see a street lined with pink 'Kanzan' both sides, but one white tree in the mix, that one started as 'Kanzan' too, but the rootstock took over. There are a few big trees around that are a full half-and-half - 'Kanzan' sometimes puts up a good fight. Note the difference in the leaf edges - you have a good photo of that - the avium uneven bumpy edges are very distinctive. You can use that information to figure out if there are rootstock branches even when there are no flowers.
Thanks Wendy! Of course! I didn't think of the root stock. Interesting about the distinctive leaves, I will remember that!
The Birch Bark cherries on 8th just west of Ash are in bloom now, not that you'd notice that when you walk by them. I was actually photographing the Euphorbia, but you can see the cherry trees in the background. One of them seems to be leaning over quite precariously.
Re: Fairview - first posting in 2009 On Tuesday & Wednesday this week I tried to photograph these trees but due to heavy traffic & bumper to bumper parked cars, I was unable to position myself to take a safe or attractive photograph. I'll try again this week at a time when traffic may be lighter. Instead, I wandered north a couple of blocks & discovered an equally stunning block of 'Kanzans' on Willow between 13th & 14th. I've uploaded the photographs in the next post above this one.
Depending on where one stands, the 'Kanzan' trees between West 13th & 14th Avenues on Willow Street create a beautiful pink archway, curtain or frame through which to view the sky, buildings & the street. I was not alone in admiring them yesterday afternoon. The building in the 4th photo is the Jim Pattison Pavilion at Vancouver General Hospital.
This is another of those places where you think you've seen all the cherries, and then one pops up where you didn't even think there was room for another. Here at the 1st Ave entrance to Creekside Park exactly where I could have sworn there was a 'Somei-yoshino' (it's been posted) is a 'Shogetsu' that was in full bloom last Wednesday. This tree is so densely covered with blossoms that I had trouble believing it could be 'Shogetsu', but note the frilly petal edges. Those edges, the long stems and the late blooming in an area where trees bloom early are the identifiers that distinguish it from 'Shirotae', which are entirely finished now in this area.
Just one 'Shirofugen', but nicely situated in the off-leash doggie park area of Charleston Park at False Creek. Photo May 17, 2011.
Autumn colours are striking on the 'Kanzan' grove at the end of Granville Island, seen from across False Creek.
'Whitcomb' blooming in front of Willow Pavilion at VGH. Unfortunately this year the tree is surrounded by a construction fence while the Pavilion undergoes renovation so I had trouble positioning myself to take photographs. These photographs were taken Wednesday morning, shortly after 8:00 am.
'Whitcomb' on Lamey's Mill Road near Granville Island. Photos taken yesterday afternoon. Not sure what condition the blossoms and branches are in now after today's windstorm.
'Whitcomb' in a private courtyard of a condo directly across from City Square on the north side. Approximate address would be Ash Street between West 12th & West 10th. Because the yard is surrounded by a tall brick fence, I wasn't able to get close enough to photograph the trunk. It is a young tree.
A 'Beni-shidare' blooming in my neighbourhood, on the south side of West 12th Avenue, between Ash & Cambie Streets. I'm sure it's just my imagination but the blossoms' colour seems a deeper pink this year than previous years.
They start out dark and fade, the way the 'Whitcomb' do. Maybe you saw it after it had been open a while last year.
'Beni-shidare' at Heather & 13th, in a private garden but with plenty of branches overhanging the fence and tall enough so one can stand (or crouch) under the canopy. Photos taken yesterday evening at about 7:00 pm, during a break from the overcast skies and rain.
Blossoms on 'Akebono' (West 16th & Heather) just beginning to open, but all trees between Heather & Oak still less than 25% in bloom.
The young 'Rancho' and 'Snow Goose' are in bloom in this new little park (2010 - thank you Parks Board for the tag) just west of Cambie at 6th. They're a similar shape - the red and white blossoms might be a very nice planting some years from now when they get big. For now, it's a great place to see them because the flowers are down at eye level. Here are 'Rancho'. The 'Snow Goose' are obviously low-grafted, as these are the same flowers on the trunk (last two photos in this group). More young 'Rancho' are growing on the median south of 7th and south of 8th.
Five 'Shirotae' at VGH in the southwest courtyard area (West 12th & Laurel) beside the Jim Pattison Pavilion:
The first photo shows two 'Shirotae' trees flanking the path near the entrance to a small park opposite Heather Pavilion at VGH (corner of 10th & Heather). At the west side of the park, there is another group of three trees (which I didn't photograph) and park benches on which to sit and enjoy them.
A lovely, young 'Akebono' in the parking lot of the Ukrainian Catholic Church at West 14th & Ash. Can you spot three bees in the second photo? Photos taken at about 7:45 pm yesterday evening.
My absolute favourite Serrulas on 8th Ave in an apartment garden, between Heather and Ash, are in bloom. The Kanzans in the area are glorious but these sweet little birch bark flowers are subtle and delicate. The Stanley Park Serrulas and the Valley/ King Edward old tree are slower to bloom.
Thanks to my friend Kate Gerson who refuses to be a cherry scout but tells me about the cherries she sees so I can go photograph them. I was happy to see this group of three rather slender 'Autumnalis Rosea' on the north side of 10th between Birch and Hemlock Streets.
Autumnalis Rosea While bike riding Feb. 15, I saw 3 in full bloom on West 10th, between Birch and Hemlock. Wendy Cutler noted them in a 2002 posting