Sunset

The Great White is looking greenish with age. 'Tai-haku' is finishing its bloom on the corner of E. 47th (north side) and Main (west side) at April 19, 2022. The leaves that opened "coppery red" with the large white flowers, giving 'Tai-haku' its distinctive identification markers, have turned green. Who knew that 'Tai-haku' petals, with their notched, slightly ragged-edged petals, looks reminiscent of Washi-no-o?

 

Yes, it's funny what characteristic gives a plant its name, when that occurs in other plants. In this case, it's just the jagged edges that are similar. 'Tai-haku' petals are much more round, almost full circles.

 

Avium 'Plena' is out with its retroflex sepals, along side the shedding 'Kanzan' on the east side of Elgin, between E. 47th and E. 49th at May 4, 2022.

 

Somei-Yoshino, with sparse blooms, are in full bloom right now along the south side of E. 41st Street just west of Windsor in Memorial Park. There are three of these trees, beautiful and elegant.

 

On 45th Avenue, just east of Chester, there are two young Akebono trees in full bloom.

 

These are the Schmitt Cherries. Tiny flowers.

 

Ah - I thought they were S-Y, and I checked back for a previous post to be sure - Anne also thought they were S-Y. I never heard of Schmitt.

Oops - I'm wrong - she identified them as Schmitt - need to upgrade my reading skills. https://forums.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/threads/sunset.36592/page-6#post-380601

 

'Tai-haku' is past peak bloom and in petal fall on the northwest corner of E. 47th and Main at April 26, 2023.



Here is a clear shot of the leaf cycle, emerging bronze, turning green at the tips, and finally all-green.

 

'Ichihara-tora-no-o' is thrusting along in its bloom at April 26, 2023. The tight corymb clusters growing in spurs along almost horizontal branches give the "tiger's tail from Ichihara" its unmistakable tail-like look.

 

Lest Douglas Justice be out-of-sorts with us, we must post his two trees of 'Ichiyo' on the east side of Fraser, south of E. 54th. This year, they are in full, riotous bloom at April 29, 2023.


Below, the blossoms show staminodes (incomplete petals), and their centre styles with the phylloids which gives 'Ichiyo' its name (one leaf).

 

One ‘Accolade’ on 59th, west of Prince Edward is starting to bloom. Tree looks way better than the festival favourite ‘Whitcomb’ on the same street.




Here is what the ‘Whitcomb’ looks like.


Very few flowers on the ‘Whitcomb’. Looks like frost damage.

 

The Great White, 'Tai-haku' is looking great, at peak bloom on the corner of E. 47th (north side) and Main (west side) at March 29, 2024.

 

The two Ichiyo trees on the east side of Fraser, south of E. 54, are in full bloom at April 3, 2024. Although they are three weeks earlier than last year (2023), they are not too far from the full bloom date of the end of March in 2015. and 2010. Some of the flowers seem to have more than the one leaf (phylloid) in the centre.

 

Thank you for answering all the questions I was wondering about - how are they doing in the rest of the city, and how early are things compared to last year, and how are things doing compared to 2010 and 2016. I don't think I realized that 2016 was the earliest year. West End 'Kanzan' were just opening in the West End on March 27, 2016; they seemed about the same on March 31 this year.

 

Well, it just about breaks my heart to have to report this.
It's Swan Song time for the 'Ichihara-tora-no-o' on the north side of E. 57th, just east of Fraser. With major parts already ripped off and scattered on the ground, it stands behind green fencing mounted with a horrible sign "KEEP OUT, Demolition in progress."



2024 will be the last time this Tiger's Tail swishes by with its full bloom.

 

They even cut it down while it was in bloom! Now I understand the phrase "I cant even."

 

Yikes!