Re: Kitsilano - Shirofugens and Shogetsu It seems to be some sort of tradition in Vancouver to plant Shirofugen and Shogetsu trees together, as if for cherry scouts so that we can compare them and learn to tell them apart! Here's a set on W 8th, east of Arbutus, just east of the train tracks - two Shirofugens and one small Shogetsu. Considering the construction going on behind them, it's amazing they've been left there. First are the Shirofugens. Here they are together - the pinky blossoms (because they're aging, else they'd also be pure white) on the left half are Shirofugens; the pure white ones are the Shogetsu. Here is the Shogetsu.
There are two of these Avium Plenas near Trutch on the grassy area between Point Grey Road and !st Ave, and I think the Kanzans were just east of that. Photos were taken May 7.
Re: Kitsilano - Fall colours Here are some fall colours to separate new season postings from the previous year's. The first two are Tai Haku on Burrard at 1st, across from the armory. The third is Shirotae from the festival favourite on 1st Ave just west of Burrard. This one is from the row of Schmitt cherries on W 6th, between Arbutus and Yew, north side of the street. It also shows the shredding bark that Douglas mentions in the new Scout Guide, which will be available to the public this year.
Re: Kitsilano - Okame and Whitcomb - FIRST POSTING IN 2009 First posting in 2009 I guess this is an ungrafted Okame, on W 6th just east of Stephen, south side of the street. I'm convinced it isn't Okame when I'm there, but then when I see the photos, they look just like the photos from the Okame at UBC, including the brown rot. The blossoms are less than 2cm across, with very skinny notched petals whose outer edges do not touch when the blossoms are open. The calyxes didn't look red enough to me to be Okame, but I see the UBC ones look quite similar. I guess they're just not old enough to be all red yet. There's a shoot coming out of the trunk at the ground that has the same buds. It's not really in bloom yet on March 25. Here's the Whitcomb on W 6th at Maple, in a little park, photos Mar 23 and 25.
Pandora - Kitsilano, W 6th, Arbutus to Yew The three Prunus 'Pandora' street trees on the south side of W. 6th, just west of Arbutus, are ready to pop open. There are two other Pandoras in front of a house on the south side of 6th between Maple and Cypress that don't look as close to opening as these are. The trees all along the block across the street from the pictured favourites are Schmittii cherries; these don't seem close to opening yet. There is one of them (I think) on the south side of the street as well.
Re: Kitsilano - the Burrard Armory Somei-yoshino This is defnitely a Somei-yoshino. Smaller blossoms than Akebono, no staminodes, longer "stars" in the centres than on Akebonos, paler buds than Akebono. Old tree not grafted. It's about 20% open, the first of the Somei-yoshinos I've seen open. I haven't seen any open Akebonos yet.
Re: Pandora - Kitsilano, W 6th, Arbutus to Yew They're still not fully open, but these Pandoras are looking much more colourful now, only two days after the first photos. This is a much better photo for the vcbf webpage. It was at least 16 degrees Celsius today, so things are busy in the cherry world. A block away on 6th and Maple, there's a Whitcomb, usually the first to bloom, looking excellent, and the Somei-yoshinos and Pandoras are going to be in full bloom very soon along with them.
Stellata - Kitsilano, outside Planetarium There are about four Prumus pendula 'Stellata' trees north of the parking area, just to the left of the Planetarium as you face the water. They're just starting to bloom now. Note how the edges of the blossoms curl in.
Oshima - Kitsilano, Arbutus at Kits Beach The two Prunus speciosa, common name Oshima, trees on Arbutus at Kits Beach, north of the entrance to the parking lot, have buds showing white. They're a bit ahead of the Shirotae trees I've seen.
The Whitcomb on W 6th at Maple is looking excellent right now. The Pandoras between Cypress and Maple, two in front of a house, are not quite as far along as the ones across Arbutus. Across from the Pandoras west of Arbutus, the Schmittii have just a few blossoms. Those buds seem sticky. On the Pandora side, a bit west, are two upright trees with sticky buds that I can't figure out yet. They're not out as much even as the Schmittiis on the north side yet.
Re: Oshima - Kitsilano, Arbutus at Kits Beach Four days later, the Oshimas at Kits Beach are in bloom.
On April 10, I walked Kitsilano Beach Park and Vanier Park area. It’s a very beautiful area and we can see rather rare cherries like Oshima, Stellata and Spire. 2 Oshimas next to the tennis courts on Arbutus are just started. (Only 2 registered Oshima Zakura in Vancouver!) 3 Somei-Yoshinos at the same location opened more than 50%. You can see many purple leafed plums at the residential area. I found 2 Whitcombs at the private property (1971 Whyte Ave) were very beautiful. There are Akebonos at the parking of the Vancouver museum. Some of them were pollarded and looked miserable. 4 Stellatas were very beautiful. I found 1 Somei-Yoshino tree just behind them. (not grafted) There are 6 Akebonos at the north side of the Museum. They are 20 % open. There is solo Somei-Yoshino near the water. There are 3 Akebonos at the Parking of Kitsilano Park and 6 near the corner of Cornwall & Cypress.They were still less than half bloom. 4 Spires near the pool were good condition. An ornamental shaped purple leafed plum near south-west corner of the park was not as beautiful as last year.Because leaves came out with flowers almost at the same time.. ( or I was a little too late)
Cherry blossoms and the moon Here is a picture I took last year at 6th and Bayswater-I will id it this year
On our walk on Friday, April 10th, we saw Akebonos, such as this specimen at 16th & Burrard: ... and a beautiful Pendula, on private property at 2325 16th Avenue: Laura 3:)
here are some photos of a bike ride I took this afternoon in Kitsilano. there are 8 Akebonos just 2 days from full bloom at Cornwall and Yew
What a great day to ride around the neighbourhood on a bicycle! The first photo is of a group having a bbq under a 'Oshima' near Kits tennis courts-it has large white flowers. The next 2 photos are some 'Rancho's on Granville between 7th and Broadway. They are upright like 'Amanogawa', and are not very floriferous. Lastly, there is a block of cherries between 5th and 6th on Balaclava. On the west are Akebonos (save one) and on the east are a cultivar with a redder pink blossom. Does anyone know what they are? The first photo shows the difference in colour between the 2. The second photo is looking north to the North Shore mountains. The 3rd photo is a closeup of the redder unknown I would say 'Akebono is still the most beatiful cultivar I have seen this week. However, there a many 'Kanzan' trees ready to explode in colour in a week or so.
These Schmittii photos are from ages ago - April 6, when a lot of blossoms were open, but not all. Well, those trees don't ever look like they're in bloom, and the flowers are so high up it's hard to appreciate them. But the whole row of huge upright good-looking trees on the north side of W 6th from Arbutus to Yew is pretty nifty. Across the street are the Festival Favourite Pandoras, which are looking surprisingly good, even with the centres cut out for the overhead wires. They were fully out about two days ago.
On April 14, 3 Pandora on West 6 Ave. Between Arbutus & Yew St. are really the beautiful cherries for me.
On April 14, More Akebono photos in Kitsilano Beach near Cornwall & Yew St. were posted for your appreciation.
On April 14, Two photos of fully bloomed Oshima by the tennis court of Kitsilano Beach are for your appreciation.
On April 14, More Stellata photos by the Planetarium for your appreciation. The last photo shows the nearby Somei-yoshino.
Linda Poole, the VCBF festival director, sent me these photos of the Akebonos she can see from her balcony. The trees are in the grassy area south of Point Grey Road, east of Blenheim.
There are some beautiful trees in full bloom right now in Jericho Park, on the west side, near the little parking lot at the beach. The trees appear to be Akebono, because of the flat type of growth, and the blossoms look like Akebono, but I could find no evidence of the staminode. Sorry, no pic.
