Four Shirotae blooming in the playground yard of Queen Alexandra Elementary, NE corner E. 10 and Clark, on April 16, 2011.
Here's another Yae Beni Shidare quite near the one Anne posted, on southwest corner of 33rd at Somerville: Note: These photos were taken on April 12th.
Walking north on the east side of Windsor from 33rd, there's quite a nice variety of previously undocumented (I think) trees: First there is this Umineko: Then there is this Rancho/Sargent, which Wendy tells me is now called Oyama Zakura, if I got that right: Then we come to this cherry, which I could not identify: And then another Umineko: Note: These photos were taken on April 12th.
Laura, regarding your post #180, April 17, 2011, these trees are not Uminekos. They are the pseudo-Sargents, now re-classified as Yama-zakuras. They were previously posted on posts#47, 101 and 102.
In the parking lot of a medical building on the southeast corner of E. 10th/ Commercial Drive, and looking like they need medical attention, Kensington's 4 Amanogawas valiantly strive to stay upright on April 23, 2011.
That is the BEST tree! Or certainly the best 'Tai Haku'. I was just going to add it to the Scout Favourites thread, but I see Anne already did that in 2009.
Hmm. It seems nobody's posted anything on this one in a while. Of course, there are Kanzans everywhere, such as these that I saw as I looked Eastward from the corner of 29th and Windsor on May 7th: But this one is one I can't identify and would like your help with. It's a spectacular tree on the east side of Windsor just south of 31st, and here's what it looked like on May 10th: And here on May 13th: I've seen similar ones in front of the main entrance to Douglas College in New Westminster (where I work). I will post a photo on that thread too. Laura 3:)
Except for the 'Kanzan' street, these are all 'Shirofugen'. In the second photo in the row of three, note in the upper left corner the blossoms starting to turn fluorescent pink from the centres. Douglas Justice mentioned that this cultivar's leaves don't seem to be turning green as quickly this year. Usually, by the time the flowers are pink, the leaves are green, so two weeks or so after the flowers are open, the tree has totally reversed its colours - white blossoms, bronze leaves become pink blossoms, green leaves. This year we get some pink blossoms and still somewhat bronze-y leaves.
Re: Kensington/Cedar Cottage Ah - yes - I see that now. And your posting kind of answers a question I had about that right arm - as you can see in my pictures, the right arm is NOT in bloom at the moment, although the rest of the tree is. This makes me wonder if the right arm is not another variety. I should go have another look - it's only two blocks from my house, and the sun appears to be attempting to break through. Laura 3:)
Well, I got out and got some more photos of the Shirofugen on Windsor at 31st today, trying to capture the phosphorescence that Wendy was talking about, but I'm not sure I did. I did however get a better look at what's happening with that "right arm" - it seems that there are neither blossoms not leaves beyond the node you see in the picture below: And while I was out, I went by Ross street to see the Kanzans which line the street between 31st and 29th. They are pretty much finished, of course, but they're in the process of blanketing the street, sidewalk, and cars with pink blossoms: Laura 3:)
Fluorescent, not phosphorescent, and your photos sort-of show it. How about luminous - startlingly bright? They're not just pink in the centers but sort of glow-y. Anyway, you can see the two different blossom colours in your photos.
OK - now those Shirofugens are getting clearly phosphorescent/fluorescent, and oddly enough they seem to be having a second show - both in my neighbourhood and in New Westminster - I can't vouch for anyplace else, but I suspect the story is similar. Here is what the Shirofugen at the southeast corner of Windsor and 33rd looked like on June 29th: Laura 3:)
Re: Kensington/Cedar Cottage As of October 8, 2011, the Shirotae has been removed, but the Kiku-Shidare tree is still there.
This 'Beni-shidare' on Nanaimo at Vanness looks so familiar, but I can't find it posted anywhere. It's not at all in bloom, but it's very visible from the Nanaimo Skytrain Station, and it's quite nice. You know, I tell people how hard it is to get the locations right. On the map, this should not be visible facing south from the station, yet I saw it passing by on the train and went back on my way home to have a look. That's why I'm including the photo that shows the street sign and the tree.
Re: Kensington/Cedar Cottage http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showpost.php?p=248179&postcount=150
The accolades that line the block from 33rd to 32nd on Dumfries are now in full bloom, maybe even a little past full:
There is a planting of Somei-Yoshinos (I think) on the east side of Windsor Street south of 31st towards 33rd, across from Grey's Park, and they are in bloom now: This is the furthest north: Then there's this scrawny one: And this relatively healthy-looking one at the southeast corner of Windsor and 33rd:
I think these are the things we've called by several different names (Sargentii, yama-zakura), but we're calling them Sargentii hybrids now. Kind of shapeless trees, lacking the horizontal gracefulness and flat curved top of 'Somei-yoshino'.
OK, well, in that case I hesitate to name these ones. They're definitely not Akebonos, as there's an Akebono right next to them, and it hasn't started to bloom yet. These are on 26th between St. Catherine and Prince Albert. Most of them are on the north side of the street, with one scrawny one on the south side, right in the middle of the block. I may have gone overboard a bit with the photos - I think there were only five trees.
Laura, you posted these last year as per your post 173 http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showpost.php?p=272301&postcount=173, these also are Sargentii hybrids.
Here is a comparison of the flowers of the Sargentii Hybrid on Windsor/E31 with the Somei Yoshino in Brewer Park, Victoria/E.26 on April 6, 2012. The Hybrid's flowers (first photo) are in umbels of two, with short pedicels. The Yoshino (second photo) has flowers in umbels of four to five, with longer pedicels that are slightly hairy. Yoshino petals are longer, less rounded and more notched, as indicated in the third and last photo.
