need help with cherry blossom identification

Discussion in 'Ornamental Cherries' started by Abbygogogo, Apr 9, 2017.

  1. Abbygogogo

    Abbygogogo New Member

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    I saw these little blossoms among some Akebono, but they seemed to have a darker shade than Akebono. Just wondering what these are. I found them around QE park south entrance. They are very small trees.
    IMG_1214.jpg IMG_1195.jpg
     
  2. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    These look very 'Akebono'-like. Do you live near there, to post another photo when the flowers are open? If you could capture a clear photo of the flower stems, that would be good.
    When you say they're darker than Akebono, do mean other 'Akebono' that are also just budding out? The flowers do open quite pink, then fade to white as they age.
     
  3. Abbygogogo

    Abbygogogo New Member

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    In this picture, you could probably see the 7th tree is darker than the rest.
     

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  4. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    OK, thanks, I can see some colour, but no-one can do an ID from that photo. Do you live near there? Can you get a closer photo of the tree and the flowers?
     
    Last edited: Apr 11, 2017
  5. Abbygogogo

    Abbygogogo New Member

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    I just happened to walk by yesterday. I took a picture of a similar tree nearby in comparison with a Akebonk next to it. It was raining then so I couldn't take some quality pictures of the flowers.
     

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  6. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Still not enough to go on. You haven't named the photos, so I'm not sure which sort-of close-up goes with which tree, as from a distance, I would have said the one on the right is the 'Akebono'. And I need closer than that. Close enough to see, for a start, how many petals are in each flower, and if there is an extra petal in some of the flowers (and which tree has that, or do both have that), and something to indicate how large the flowers are. If you can show whether the stems have hairs on them, that would be good. Really, to distinguish one cultivar from another, no-one can reliably tell from a distance. Cherry cultivars get distinguished by whether the sepals (the green stars on the back) have hairs, or little teeth on their edges; tiny details are needed to ID them. I would have said the first two photos, compared to the other, might be 'Somei-yoshino', though from the photos, the flowers do look like 'Akebono'. But I'm not saying unless I see details. You could even take a small sprig from one and hold it next to the other (and be clear about which is which).
     
  7. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    I went over there tonight to have a look. I spent quite a bit of time west of the entrance at Columbia Street, looking at these trees, which are all 'Akebono', as the tag on one of them says.
    Note that the flowers on the 'Akebono' in some cases have an extra half-petal or two in the centre. There is a nice example almost dead centre in the second photo. One of these came with a hummingbird.
    20170410_QEPark-37thColumbia_Akebono_Cutler_P1280565.JPG 20170410_QEPark-37thColumbia_Akebono_Cutler_P1280579.JPG 20170410_QEPark-37thColumbia_Akebono_Cutler_P1280560.JPG 20170410_QEPark-37thColumbia_Hummingbird-Akebono_Cutler_P1280556.JPG
    West of the entrance, I only found one tree lighter than the others; this one is 'Somei-yoshino'. There are no flowers on these that have more than five petals. The star shape in the centre is a bit more pronounced, and the petals are a little less curved. Often the flowers are a bit smaller, but I did not find that the case here.
    20170410_QEPark-37thColumbia_Somei-yoshino_Cutler_P1280543.JPG 20170410_QEPark-37thColumbia_Somei-yoshino_Cutler_P1280546.JPG 20170410_QEPark-37thColumbia_Somei-yoshino_Cutler_P1280544.JPG

    I didn't even realize that there were more of these trees at Manitoba. Then I realized that it was this group you meant. In this group, the whiter trees, and there seem to be more of them, are 'Somei-yoshino', and the more pink ones are the 'Akebono'. The second photo is 'Somei-yoshino'.
    20170410_QEPark-37thManitoba_Somei-yoshinoAndAkebono_Cutler_P1280572.JPG 20170410_QEPark-37thColumbia_Somei-yoshino_Cutler_P1280574.JPG
    I didn't have time to mark which were which, but I'm thinking of documenting that while I can still tell. It's not always the case that you can get a nice easy comparison that we have here right now.

    'Somei-yoshino' do have paler buds than 'Akebono', and are somewhat more white in appearance. That is particularly the case when they have been in flower for a few days already when 'Akebono' are just opening, so 'Akebono' have more of their pink bud colour still on the trees. But this will change. Within a week, the 'Akebono' trees will also go white, and as the petals start to drop, you may not see any of the extra petals. When the 'Akebono' are very white, the older 'Somei-yoshino' flowers will get red vein marks starting in the centres, giving them the more pink appearance. If you want to know which is which, take notes now.
     
  8. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    I went back today and counted most of them. The accounting and some more photos are in this Neighbourhood Blogs thread:
    Riley Park

    Just one day later and it was already getting more difficult to distinguish which tree was which. Thanks, Abbygogogo, for posting that when you did! I also put one marker for each cultivar on the VCBF map - Neighbourhood Maps.
     
  9. Abbygogogo

    Abbygogogo New Member

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    Thank you so much for answering my question! @wcutler
     

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