Identification: Hosokawa-nioi? Semi-double white, fragrant, late mid-season

Discussion in 'Ornamental Cherries' started by wcutler, Apr 29, 2009.

  1. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Re: Kitsilano - Jo-nioi on Burrard at Cornwall? More like Hosokawa-nioi

    [edited by wcutler 20090514: this tree is new to us, so I'm copying it here so it doesn't get lost in the Kitsilano thread. I've added the currently assumed cultivar name to the title, based on Douglas's reply.]

    I drove back across the Burrard Bridge to see what the riot of magenta was all about - a crab apple totally eclipsing the Kanzan for over-the-top colour. Next to it was one of the two Tai Haku, with a single cluster of blossoms remaining, these looking fresh and new.
    20090429_BurrardCornwall_KanzanCrab_Cutler_DSC02839.jpg 20090429_BurrardCornwall_TaiHaku_Cutler_DSC02846.jpg 20090429_BurrardCornwall_TaiHaku_Cutler_DSC02849.jpg

    But what's that very fragrant tree between the two Tai Hakus? Kuitert's 'Jo-nioi' photo looks a lot like my blossom photos (except for petaloids on more than a few of my blossoms), which the photos in his book NEVER do, so I don't know whether to place any stock in that or not. Things that matched from Kuitert's 'Jo-nioi' description: The foliage was light bronzy coloured, there were red glands at the base of the leaves, peduncled umbels (that term didn't make any sense to me last time I saw it, but it seems to fit this), stems about 3cm long, flowers looked to be 4-5cm, pistil seems shorter than the stamens. I couldn't reach any branches to measure anything. The flowers in the last photo were from the ground and were a lot smaller than what was on the tree, so I didn't measure them.
    20090429_BurrardCornwall_Q_Cutler_DSC02850.jpg 20090429_BurrardCornwall_Q_Cutler_DSC02852.jpg 20090429_BurrardCornwall_Q_Cutler_DSC02860.jpg 20090429_BurrardCornwall_Q_Cutler_DSC02865.jpg
     
    Last edited: May 11, 2009
  2. Douglas Justice

    Douglas Justice Well-Known Member UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout Maple Society 10 Years

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    Re: Kitsilano

    Wow! Nice discovery, Wendy (how did I miss that?). From your photos and description, I'd say it's pretty close to 'Hosokawa-nioi' (as you surmised in your email to me). Perhaps Kuitert only saw shaded specimens of that cultivar, which might explain a green vs red calyx. Then again, maybe it's more complicated than that.

    This year, it seems to me there's more red in the developing tissues of a number of plants. I wonder if the cold weather might have something to do with it. I recall reading that phosphorus deficiency often manifests itself in reddening of tissues, and the availability of soil phosphate is temperature mediated. Note that the leaves of evergreen viburnums often develop a reddish purple tint in cold weather. Certainly, the sickly yellow of the leaves and stems of this cherry suggests something is awry. Then, I'm no plant physiologist, so maybe I'm all wet.

    In any event, it just goes to prove that one can't jump to conclusions based on a single year's observations. Last year, I assumed they were all 'Tai-haku'. I suspect the fragrant one wasn't out and I assumed it was just an unhappy 'Tai-haku'. I do remember that I was illegally parked and in a hurry. Not a very good excuse, I know.
     
  3. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Last edited: Apr 13, 2013
  4. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Here are some more photos in case they help identify this tree. The leaf photos are from the suckers growing off the trunk. The tree doesn't look grafted to me, and the leaves look the same as what's growing from the main branches. The photo with the fruit is from up in the tree. There are several dead limbs on the south side of the tree.
     
  5. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    I'm afraid this is quantity over quality, but fwiw, here are some more photos of the tree on Burrard across from the armory. One of the photos does show stipules (not in focus still counts?); I mentioned not seeing any stipules on this tree in the other Is-it-Hosokawa-nioi? thread.
     

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