The three surviving ‘Shosar’ on Minoru and Alderbridge are looking very strong. Just past peak bloom, but still worth a look.
Just as Anne Eng posted in Riley Park (above) - same deal in Richmond on March 23, 2024. ‘Pandora’ are past peak bloom and “radiating changing colour from the inside out”
This is NOT timely, but I was asked about the trees at Larry Berg Flight Path Park today and found that I never posted the photos I took on March 22 around 7pm, so here they are; this might be considered peak bloom.
These are shots taken on March 22 on the way to Larry Berg Flight Path Park, Grant McConachie Way and Russ Baker Way. I haven't figured out any good way to photograph these other than passing by in a car, and it wasn't the weather for anything else that evening. We have no recent photos of these, so the photos are just to show that they're still there.
I noticed this single ‘Autumnalis Rosea’ at 5500 Parkwood Way in Richmond Auto Mall from one block away. It’s certainly not ‘blooming now’ but it was just pink enough to tease me.
I'll get back to take some more pictures when it's in full glory, but the little teaser of a 'Whitcomb' on Chatham Street will have to do for the time being....This is them on January 19th but I saw them as early as December 24th. Unfortunately the picture I took that day has no focus on the flowers at all, naught but a blurry mess...
... but there's ample evidence we're about to witness the spring cherry blossom explosion very soon! This is in Steveston on Chatham Street and this particular trees has been showing buds opening for a while, I spotted the first ones on January 19th... I'm told this is a Whitcomb. It's not quite in its full glory yet but it won't belong now....
A young Akebono in bloom in the courtyard next to the Steveston Museum & Post Office, .....which is well worth a visit for some interesting and sad history of the early days of Steveston.
The Akebono's at Garry Point are tight in bud, except for a few by the Fish & Chip Stand. If we keep getting some of this warmer weather, they should be magnificent for next weeks Cherry Blossom Party at the park. The wee branchlet in the parking post is not a bonsai, but it was very cute!
@ricchan has given me permission to post this 9-second video of the 'Akebono' trees at Larry Berg Flight Path Park, on the way to the Vancouver Airport. 20250402 Larry Berg Flight Path Park - Russ Baker Way Akeb… | Flickr
There were originally 125 Birthday Blossom 'Akebono' planted in 2011 - here is the posting: https://forums.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/threads/richmond.37705/page-5#post-285499 Greg, the former publicist for VCBF, took this photo yesterday from a plane.
April 6, 2025 YVR Sign: Heading to YVR from Arthur Laing Bridge turning onto Grant McConachie Way - 'Akebono'? I noticed these were almost full bloom when I left YVR on April 2. As I was heading home, likely due to all the rain that happened overnight on April 5th, most of these blooms were on the ground. I presume they are 'Akebono' as they were pink when I first saw them. These are just before the groves of 'Akebono' that are on the map in the cloverleaf on Grant McConachie Way.
March 23, 2026 YVR Sign: Heading to YVR from Arthur Laing Bridge turning onto Grant McConachie Way - 'Akebono'? No photos but the 'Akebono' in the cloverleaf are also getting there for blooms!
The fifth photo in the posting above shows two distinctive features: - the double-serrated leaves - hairy leaves and leaf petioles and calyx tube, particularly on the left margin of the photo and also the unfolding leaves - the one to the right of the leaf in the upper left corner shows an earlier unfolding before the final one, which we don't often capture. The photo before that shows off the red bud scales. Also notable here are the narrow petals, not overlapping. Now I wish I could remember where I saw that in a photo this morning.
