Identification: Small single pink blossoms, upright tree, mid-season - Star Cherry

Discussion in 'Ornamental Cherries' started by wcutler, Apr 4, 2013.

  1. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    First I was excited to think I was approaching another 'Afterglow', but then I thought these blossoms seemed too small, flowers too thin, the tree not right. Then when I was at the tree, I thought the tree and the collection of flowers looked like Star Cherry, but the petals don't curl in the way they do on that cultivar. Looking at my photos, the blossoms look just like those on 'Beni-shidare', but there's nothing apparently shidare (weeping) about this tree.

    Is it 'Afterglow' and I've forgotten what that looks like, or is it something else? What about that 'Pink Shell' we've never found?

    It's on Tupper at 24th.
     
  2. Anne Eng

    Anne Eng Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    Wendy, I took photos of this Tupper tree (first two pictures) and also of the Elgin Street Afterglow (photo 3 and 4) today, April 4, 2013.

    The Elgin Afterglow had a few blossoms on the ground and I was able to compare them with those of the Tupper tree (last photo). The Afterglow flowers, on the right, are larger. The smaller Tupper flowers are on the left, and there is no doubt that it is the Un-Afterglow.
     

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    Last edited: Apr 4, 2013
  3. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Some more photos on this tree. I have also posted photos of Star Cherry from today, when its flowers are past their prime and look more like this.
    Prunus pendula 'Stellata', Star Cherry - Single pink, early mid-season

    Today, I decided for a while that it's Star Cherry after all. I'd just seen the one at QE Park, and it also has faded open blossoms with hardly any curl to the petals now. But then I went to the Planetarium, and I'm not so sure. Both the QE and Planetarium trees have rather tight clusters of flowers on short pedicels (of course I didn't measure those), mostly in umbels. Anne's inflorescence photo shows what seems to be an umbel, but my photos show at least one cluster that's distinctly not an umbel, and generally longer pedicels. The flower on this tree measured almost 3cm, a bit larger than the others but maybe the difference between 2cm and 3cm is not so significant.

    The thing is, my original photos were taken when the blossoms were not that old, and they didn't look like Star Cherry blossoms then.

    I thought of Edo-higan (Prunus pendula f. ascendens). There are a few hairs on the calyx (enough to say "pubescent'?). Pistil longer than longest stamens. Calyx less pubescent than the pedicel. Not sure if the calyx qualifies on the deeper red hue than the sepals. OK on the few teeth and hairs on edge of sepals. Stipules about the right length. But that's supposed to have an umbellate inflorescence. Maybe the calyx not urceolate enough? Flower diameter a bit too small? If petals are emarginate at the tip, does that mean they don't have that notch?
     

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    Last edited: Apr 14, 2013
  4. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Nadia and I went past this tree today when we were trying to avoid traffic on Cambie. We both thought Star Cherry. The petal edges are distinctly curved in. This tree seems to have no rules: flower arrangement in umbels, peduncled umbels, and corymbs. Blooming time early mid-season for the Planetarium and Dunbar ones and early late season for QE Park and this one, areas that generally are later, but this is more later than it should be proper. Or maybe the QE tree and this came out at the same time as the one that was seen in Dunbar on April 2 and these just hang onto the petals forever. Admittedly, flowers on this and the QE Park trees I've just seen are past their peak.
     

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  5. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Thanks to an owner of our Ornamental Cherries book for a query about this tree. Douglas Justice has copied me on his reply:

    Doubtfully anything other than a Prunus subhirtella seedling, I think. Very pretty, but definitely not ‘Stellata’ which is distinctive upon opening.​
     
  6. Anne Eng

    Anne Eng Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    Here is the tree at 3961 Tupper (Riley Park, SW Tupper/24 Ave) just as it started its bloom on March 23, 2020.
    20200323_3961TupperW24_Eng_0370.jpg 20200323_3961TupperW24_Eng_0371.jpg

    This is Joseph Lin's photo of the Stellata at the Planetarium from April 1, 2008.
    20080401_Planetarium_Stellata_JosephLin_0523.jpg

    This is what the tree at 3961 Tupper looks like at April 10, 2020.
    20200410_3961TupperW24_Eng_1046.jpg 20200410_3961TupperW24_Eng_1048.jpg 20200410_3961TupperW24_Eng_1049.jpg 20200410_3961TupperW24_Eng_1050.jpg
    20200410_3961TupperW24_Eng_1047.jpg
     
  7. Anne Eng

    Anne Eng Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    Update on the tree at April 13, 2020.
    20200413_3961TupperW24_Eng_1292.jpg 20200413_3961TupperW24_Eng_1293.jpg 20200413_3961TupperW24_Eng_1295.jpg 20200413_3961TupperW24_Eng_1296.jpg
     
  8. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    I have received word that @Anne Eng's recent posting at South Cambie has convinced Douglas Justice now. This can be posted as Star Cherry in the South Cambie neighbourhood blog from now on, and Anne has put it on the map.
    I love tenacious cherry scouts.
     

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