Two Shirotaes are blooming beside three yet-to-open Kanzans along the Autumn Stroll by the service yard on April 12, 2013.
I guess I just imagined posting this earlier, or I neglected to comlete the posting. Sue and Diana had just come upon me, they in a car and me on foot, and invited me (or I invited myself) to tag along with them, and next thing, I had Sue going around the block to see a 'Tai Haku' and what turned out to be 'Shirotae' and 'Kanzan' at the Louie Brier Home on the north side of 41st at Adera.
The Jo-nioi on the Rhodo Walk at VanDusen has opened at least 6 blossoms on April 18, 2013. According to the criteria of the Japanese Meteorological Agency, this is enough to track a "cherry wave" starting.
Tibetan Birchbark Cherry, Prunus serrula, two locations in VanDusen April 20, 2013. The youngest (first 3 photos) Bed 122; follow the paved path through the Great Lawn up to the top. At the first intersection, turn right. Keep looking left as the tree will be on your left, set back from the path, and a third of the way to the next junction. The glistening mahogany bark is easy to miss as the tree is so young and thin, but when you see it, you will understand why P. serrula wormed its way into the Cherry Guide for Vancouver. The oldest (last two photos) Bed 127B; and this is what P. serrula looks like when it gets old like the rest of us. When you get to the top of the Great Lawn, do not make a turn; instead, cross the intersection, continuing straight ahead on the paved path until you reach a junction with a path leading off to the right. Ignore it and look left. You will see a) sign and arrow indicator pointing to the Sino-Himalayan Garden; b) a series of stones forming three wide and shallow steps. Follow the steps up and at the last step, at the junction with a third path, you will see the tree in the bed on your left. This is the path that will take you to the waterfall if you turn right. This old-timer (from 1979) has a Spiketail shrub growing so close, most of the green leaves you see belong to the shrub, and not the cherry tree.
The other major location for mature Tibetan Birchbark Cherry trees: four trees of Prunus serrula in Bed 74, at the top of the Great Lawn, to the right, before the junction. Mostly shredding bark, with very sparse leaf and flower growth. In the same bed, are two trees of Korean Hill Cherry, which VanDusen has labelled Prunus verecunda.
'Jo-nioi' dominates the cherry site at VanDusen's Rhodo Walk (Bed 73) on April 26, 2013. The ' Shirotae' is finishing. But VanDusen's young singletons of 'Shirofugen' and 'Shogetsu' are blooming now. They are in the back side of the bed, facing the Great Lawn, and around the corner from the 'Jo-nioi.'
In bloom on the Great Lawn of VanDusen, April 26, 2013 are: 'Ama-no-gawa', 'Kanzan' and two trees of 'Ichiyo'. The three trees of 'Tai-haku' are finishing.
VanDusen's second young Tibetan birchbark cherry is blooming with 'Shirofugen' and 'Shogetsu' in the back side of the Rhodo Walk Bed 73, facing the Great Lawn, and around the corner from the 'Jo-nioi.'
The two trees of 'Kanzan' by the 'Ukon' in VanDusen's Autumn Stroll, are in bloom on April 26, 2013. Note that some of the 'Ukon' flowers have extra sepals.
Here's Prunus padus 'Colorata', a fancy bird cherry, at VanDusen, if I remember correctly, just east of the 'Ukon' near the north fence. I'm guessing that the flowers have faded now. The last photo shows it next to the species, so the pink colour is more evident. I couldn't tell if the white one is rootstock growth or if there's a separate tree like that. Speaking of 'Ukon', the one by the back fence has no green markings at all. It's a good example of what Douglas Justice says they're supposed to look like, unlike all those other things with those green stripes that we had to give another name to, and then we can't decide when to use that name.
The 'Jo-nioi' is at peak bloom on the rhody path at VanDusen right now. You can catch the fragrance at least 35 meters before you get to the tree - there's nothing subtle about it. These photos were all from the same day, but the blue sky was around an hour later - the whole sky was not blue at all. Also at VanDusen are the last flowers in the city on a 'Tai Haku'. There are two or three of these young trees in the cherry grove; in this area, they're planted with two 'Ichiyo' and and a 'Rancho'. The same outfit must have supplied the 'Kiku-shidare-zakura' here that supplied the ones this age at QE Park. This one of the three is being overtaken by the rootstock to the same extent, right up the middle. Third photo shows the avium leaves. Last photo shows the leaves that belong on the cultivar.
The group of VanDusen labelled Weeping Higan Cherry are in full bloom today. This is much later than the ones in the West End. They also appear to be a lighter pink--certainly lighter than the illustrations in the new book. According to Wikipedia, Higan is the name of the Spring Buddhist festival which is celebrated by many different sects.
Sue, they're lighter because they've been open for a while and the colour has faded. They're way finished everywhere else in the city, though there a just enough flowers hanging on the others to confirm what they are.
To look at our festival map and this thread, you'd think there wasn't a 'Kanzan' tree in all of Shaughnessy, except for the one outside VanDusen that was labelled "Ukon" that's gone now. I passed several in car the other day, so went back for a walk down Granville. I tell scouts not to post single 'Kanzan' trees, but I liked this very visible private tree on the NW corner of 33rd and Granville. I think it must be low-grafted; I'm assuming those hefty roots would be from avium.
Continuing on my walk, the next street north, on the east side of Granville is Minto, a very nice block full of 'Kanzan' running all the way to Hudson. Across Hudson is a 'Shirotae' in a front yard, and next to that a tree (one tree, 2nd photo) that I was sure had to be 'Whitcomb' from the general appearance, but it seems to be 'Akebono'. The next street north is 32nd, with 'Kanzan' planted not as densely as on Minto, though maybe at one time they were. Now there are three young 'Shiro-fugen' and some other trees. Across Granville, the story is much the same, with the new trees being 'Kanzan'. There's also a nice private 'Shirotae' on this block. This two-story tall 'Beni-shidare' on the corner of 32nd and Connaught is only that off the trunk on the right; the half on the left is avium. Same story here as in VanDusen - there are a remarkable number of flowers remaining on the 'Beni-shidare', though it's clearly well past peak bloom. To the south on Connaught are a nice group of 'Kanzan' on the west side of the street. Walking north along Connaught back toward Granville is this planting of four young 'Kanzan' in a front yard.
Here is another nice 'Kanzan' on the SE corner of Nanton and Granville, one block south of King Edward (25th). Again, I'm assuming those roots belong to avium rootstock. I'm not sure what's feeding on the trunk. There are a few other 'Kanzan' not quite so nice around the church property.
VanDusen's first cherry tree bloom was in progress during the week of February 15, 2015. Skinny but sturdy, Wee Willie 'Whitcomb' just about single-handedly holds up VanDusen's Sakura banner until Sakura Days in April. His VanDusen signage says, "Winter-Flowering Cherry."
Just planted in 2014, VanDusen's newest young cherry tree has its first bloom at March 4, 2015. Located on the Winter Stroll, near Gate 7. Prunus incisa "Little Twist" has tiny white flowers, about dime-size (no dime being available, had to make do with a nickel). Grafted onto Prunus serrula rootstock, just barely visible at far right in fourth photo.
Now's the time to see the grove of 'Beni-shidare' at VanDusen. There were still some buds yesterday, so I am expecting them to still look good for Anne's Talk and Walk there next Saturday, March 15 at 1:30. The 'Snofozam' should be looking very good next week.
Sakura ready before Sakura Days at VanDusen. On the lower Great Lawn, Beni-shidare, young Somei-Yoshino and Snofozam. On the upper Great Lawn, Beni-shidare and Akebono. Along the Rhododendron Walk, Somei-Yoshino, Snofozam, Akebono and a lingering Whitcomb. In the Autumn Stroll, the young tree with the 'Taihaku' signage is looking more like Somei-Yoshino. Prunus incisa 'Little Twist' rounding up things on the Winter Walk. All ready for Anne by 1:30, this Sunday, March 15 (not 25th, Wendy).
Sorry, I've fixed that. I posted my own walk date incorrectly elsewhere. Well, it's going to rain for mine, so no-one will come anyway. And you are supposed to have glorious weather for your walk. The fake Tai Haku looks more like 'Akebono' to me. Does it look green-ish or pink-ish from a distance? We'll look at it on Sunday.
