Kitsilano

I think the ones in the early neighbourhoods like Kitsilano had a lot of open flowers before the frost, so now they have far fewer new flowers and some dead blossoms hanging on.

 

Well, I was not expecting to go to Kitsilano today, but I went to photograph trees on Beach Avenue in my neighbourhood and happened to look across False Creek to the Museum of Vancouver and noticed the 'Akebono' in back of the museum (the little pink patch mid-photo). The first photo is from the West End; the second is from the Burrard Bridge (I was on foot, not driving as in some of my recent photos).


Here are the 'Akebono' at the entrance to the museum.


I had not even thought about Star Cherries being in bloom. They look perfect just now.
The first photo shows these with a 'Somei-yoshino' next to them.

Here is the nicest of the four, and the least nice of the four.


This is the 'Somei-yoshino'. It has the knobby branches that seem characteristic to me.

On the property on the other side is another of these trees.


Coming up next: 'Akebono'.

 

This is the group of 'Akebono' I saw from across the water.


The other favourite 'Akebono' at Kits Beach are right at the street at Cornwall.

 

There were two Oshima-zakura last year when Veronica Zhou posted them, but now there is only one. It's a good-looking one.



It's surrounded by 'Somei-yoshino'.


There are 'Akebono' at the Kits Beach parking area - two old, two young, and one dead.

 

Hmm, there are only two 'Accolade' on the map in all of Kitsilano, so I'd better add this one, which is rather graceful, in Kits Point on McNicoll at Maple.

 

You can also check the Akebono at Vanier Park from a live webcam ( "youtu.be/wqs-YfGuSVM")
Note the construction of the Bard on the Beach site that happens in a few months. You might also be able to see the deconstruction of the beached barge on Sunset Beach!

 

These 'Tai-haku' are only a little earlier than last year.

 

Lovely Akebono trees on Trutch St between 7th and 8th, photo taken last Thurs. A mom stopped to give her baby a closer look.

 

Two days ago, I got to walk past the two beautiful 'Tai-haku' at Seaforth Peace Park on Burrard at Cornwall. They are looking perfect right now, and what a treat to see. They have such a grand structure.


At the south side of the park is one 'Shirotae'.

It's just across the street from the row of 'Shirotae' street trees on 1st Ave, which are also looking very good.

In the second photo just above, you can see the 'Kanzan' trees on the north side, down the block from the park. They are just starting to open.

 

Michelle Deines wrote to the festival about the nine or ten blocks of 'Kanzan' trees lining Yew Street but not showing on the festival map. That's because they had not been designated a Festival Favourite, and the new map does not access at all the other 2700 other locations on the map. I've agreed with Michelle that they're photogenic enough to be favourite location, which mans they show up now. And it seems it's 12 years since they've shown up here.


Around the corner, west of Yew on West 3rd, is a great candidate for my Magical two-tone trees | UBC Botanical Garden Forums thread. For sure, it's one tree: two strong 'Kanzan' limbs, and two strong sweet cherry limbs from the rootstock.


And then I saw another at Kits beach, quite young, at the northeast corner of the parking lot.

 

These 2 Kanzan are 40 years old, huge and getting very aged-looking. I can’t believe how well they look in spite of age and abuse from hydro cutting. They are on our street 3300 block west 7th outside our duplex. Since we don’t have a boulevard with trees they are still a brilliant spring treat.

 

Here are a couple more from Yew Street sent by Touhidul Mridha.

And I forgot to include this selfie from 7th and Larch.

 

Beautiful ‘Shogetsu’ blooming now on Maple, south of 14 Street.

 

Also on Maple Street, between 14th and 16th are seven lovely ‘Kiku-zakura’.

Profuse with buds now.
More moss on these trees than I remember from a few years ago. They still look snow cone-shaped to me.

 

The Kanzen in the little parklet at the south end of the Burrard Bridge look nice

 

I'll add some photos of that little parklet. You can almost see the festival banners on the bridge in one of the photos.

 

Here are a couple of 'Shiro-fugen', the first one on Yew near 5th, on a whole street of 'Kanzan' (with some sweet cherries that surely were planted as 'Kanzan')).


This is on Stephens at 7th.

 

That might have been the last view of the festival banners as they have now been replaced by banners for the BMO Marathon on May 1 that all the Sun Run 10k participants will pass by on Sunday April 24.

 

Fair enough - today is the official last day of the festival. I never really let on to the cherry scouts when it's supposed to be over.

 

Very fine display by 'Shiro-fugen' at NE Chestnut and Ogden, right across from the Maritime Museum, in bloom at April 24, 2022. Last photo with the green elephant trunk taken particularly for Lisa's benefit.

 

‘Shogetsu’ is hanging in there on Maple, south of 14th.

 

‘Kiku-zakura’ in full bloom now on Maple and 14th.



Here is a short clip of ‘Kiku-zakura’ in the rain.
https://youtube.com/shorts/0Y1O3y-eLME?feature=share

 

This 'Beni-shidare' at 14th and Balsam was on the map, but not with photos of it in bloom. It's very nice.

 

Posting photos of some locations pinned as "favourites" on the map (in case people thought they've missed them) as the bloom dates this year are unusual. Still in time to see Star Cherry!


If anyone is interested, the Colt at 8th and Arbutus is also super fragrant when I went by. Not great for viewing though unfortunately as it's a private planting inside a school

 

Some Rancho trees at the corners of 12th & Trafalgar, which is South West of Kits Secondary.