I am guessing that the tree you have photographed is not the same tree, and that the 'Whitcomb' is gone now. When it was posted (17 years ago), it was blooming at the normal 'Whitcomb' time, and this tree looks like it is still alive but planning on blooming much later. In the photo at https://forums.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/threads/ubc.36223/page-4#post-308364, there is at least one other cherry, a later-blooming one. I would be surprised if there will be any more action from 'Autumnalis Rosea'. You can let me know if you see one that is even noticeable. I have them marked as finished on the map, though there will be a few flowers for two months or so. I have removed from the map the subjects of items 1, 2 and 4. Thank you for those! I have just hidden them, so if you come across them later, I can easily make them re-appear on the map.
'Okame' in front of the Fraser River Parkade, taken yesterday by my nephew, Casey. They appear to be about 60–70% in bloom. He also captured a video of a hummingbird in the tree—too bad it can't be uploaded here. {Edited} Here is the link to the short video. {Editedby wcutler as moderator} Despite the scary "Video unavailable" message, you can click the Watch on YouTube link to see the video.
The 'Accolade' on Wesbrook Crescent is looking a little worse for wear. A noticeable number of the blossoms are going brown. These pictures were taken on March 26th, 2025 during foggy conditions, which may have contributed to the droop of the blossoms.
There is a cherry tree on Allison Road between Wycliffe Road and Chancellor Blvd. It is on the left side of the road if you are walking from Wycliffe towards Chancellor. It was difficult to get a close look since the blossoms are rather high above the sidewalk, but I think it is an 'Accolade.'
The cherry trees at the end of the University Blvd bus loop and East Mall (between the Robert H Lee Alumni Centre and Wesbrook Building) are starting to bloom! I did not see a pin on the map at this location. There is a pin nearby for 'Tai-Haku' but I think that refers to another group of trees outside of Loafe Café. I am guessing that the trees in my pictures are 'Somei-yoshino.' Alternatively they may be 'Akebono' (although so far I have not seen any petaloids in my pictures). There are about 5 trees in the green area at the end of University Blvd and another three in front of the Wesbrook Building. They are blooming rapidly! These pictures are from March 25th These pictures are from one day later, March 26th! This is a picture of the same branch. The photo on the left was taken on March 25th. The photo on the right was taken on March 26th! This is a picture of a tree in front of Wesbrook Building.
I agree on 'Somei-yoshino' because there are more still-closed buds that are white than for 'Akebono' the newly opened flowers look more white than for 'Akebono'; this stage is the best time to distinguish them the blossoms look a little smaller and more flat (less curved) than 'Akebono' They seem to be out a little before 'Akebono' in the area I'm not so good on tree shape, but this seems less flat-topped, less sideward-reaching than 'Akebono' most tellingly, the pedicels are more obviously hairy, particularly noticeable in your second photo. I think all yoshino cherries have hairs on the stems, but 'Somei-yoshino' more-so than 'Akebono' and others. Petaloids are so conveniently helpful for clinching an 'Akebono' ID, but they don't seem as common to me as we have been let on to think, and not finding a petaloid does not confirm anything. One thing to watch out for is assuming for a group of trees that they are all the same, so assuming that you can mix and match habit (tree) photos and blossom photos. Thanks for the map entry. I've made them a Festival Favourite.
Hi, Kiri & Wendy, I don’t think it is Somei-yoshino. It might be whiter than usual Akebono but Somei-yoshinos are whiter than that. Also Akebono has petals which tips carve inside. So opening buds are round like balls and cute. Petals of Somei-yoshinos are curving outside. It gives Somei-yoshino a very neat image. Now Somei-yoshinos are blooming in Tokyo. But today I took only 1 close picture of Somei-yoshinos. Tomorrow I will take more pictures of Somei-yoshinos.
Thanks, Mariko. Some years it is so clear to me, but this year, I seem to be starting over. I wonder if this is a mixed group.
Not sure if these are Akebono or not, but there is a pin on the map of a group of Akebono's close by in the park by JJ's , and it also references these 3 trees on the north side of Thunderbird. Very tight in Blossom on Tuesday during that beautiful interlude of Sunshine!!
Not sure if these ones are also Akebono. But there is an old UBC tag on this one so perhaps someone with access to the old database for the UBC trees may know for sure. These poor trees on the north side of Agronomy road are slowly declining. There is another set of Cherries on the South side of Agronomy that are doing much better, and I think could be a different cultivar perhaps since they are not quite out in bud yet, but getting there. But it also could be more sun on the North Side of the road for these trees, and they are a little bit further along. Will keep an eye on both of these!
I went to take a look again yesterday and I saw a plaque at the base of one of the trees on the side closest to Wesbrook Building that labels (at least that one tree) as 'Somei-Yoshino.' This is the tree next to the plaque The other two trees in front of Wesbrook Building The five trees in the middle The 3 trees in front of Wesbrook Building and the 5 in the middle between Wesbrook Building and Robert Lee Alumni Centre all look very similar to me, but not all of them are at the same stage of blooming so it is difficult to compare. It could be a mixed group? They do all look distinctly pinker than Mariko's photo of a 'Somei-Yoshino.' The guidebook says that 'Somei-Yoshino' flowers start off pink and fade to white. These are very newly opened blossoms so perhaps that is why they are pink?
The 'Accolade' in Nitobe Garden (next to the stone pagoda by the bridge) is in full bloom. Many of the flowers are double. [Edited by wcutler: I edited the cultivar name because Kiri used the name that was on our Neighbourhood Maps page, which I forgot to update when I learned that my original posting name for this tree was wrong. See posting #343 below]
The 'Akebono' at University Blvd and Lower mall are sporting lots of buds and one or two blossoms. Just around the corner at 2068 and 2074 Lower Mall there are a couple more trees that seem to resemble the ones pictured above. My guess is that they are also 'Akebono.'
There is a tree at the corner of Memorial Road and Lower Mall. The one flower that has opened has a staminode! I think it might be 'Akebono.'
It wasn’t very nice day to take pictures. It was cloudy and a bit short of light. I went to Koishikawa Botanical Garden and searched the darkest coloured buds but I couldn’t. But now I’m not so sure they are Akebonos. Because other Akebonos in UBC area are not blooming yet as Kiri’s new pictures, then they might be Somei-yoshinos. Somei-yoshinos bloom a little before Somei-yoshinos even in Vancouver. I can remember. Also I can see stars in the flowers in some Kiei's pictures. Usually I don't see stars in Akebonos. But their sepals on buds are short and massive. Somei-yoshino has narrow long sepals. The trees in front of the building of Kiri's #336 shows they are getting tall to compere to the people walking there. Akebono and Somei-yoshino are different in size. Wendy, can you remember the huge tree near the cemetery. After I came back to Japan, I realized that healthy Somei-yoshinos in good condition grow quickly and become large. They can grow double size of Akebonos. Then why most of Somei-yoshinos in Vancouver are almost the same size as Akebonos? Until thirty years old, they grow large very quickly. Then if they are not in proper place, they lose the tips of their branches and become smaller. Young healthy Somei-yoshinos on Harima-zaka slope Old ones losing branches
Kiri, that's 'Accolade'. My fault. I have edited your post to say 'Accolade'. There were no flowers I could get close to at the time I photographed it in 2022, and the map drawing I was using had it as Akebono. I forgot to fix the cultivar name on the festival map (just now fixed). I am attaching the Nitobe map revised in April 2024. That tree name was the only revision from the previous version.
There are approximately 8 trees on East Mall outside of Allard Building. Due to the prevalence of staminodes, I think the majority of them are 'Akebono.' The two closest to Allard Building are in full bloom now! Tree number 6275 has many spherical clusters Tree number 6242 Tree number DHC 1583
There are 5 trees at the corner of Walter Gage Road and St. Andrews Walk. There are very few open blossoms yet, but one of them had a staminode so at least one of these trees seems to be 'Akebono.' Tree with a staminode: Another tree and a blossom that fell from it:
There are 6 cherry trees behind St. Andrews Hall Ross House on the corner of St. Andrews Walk and Iona Drive. There are very few blossoms but lots of buds. To me, the long, pink buds look similar to other 'Akebono' on campus. The pedicels also do not look very hairy.
Two trees on University Boulevard in front of Loafe Café have started blooming. There might be a staminode on one blossom, but they also look quite pink so I am guessing 'Akebono.' These photos were taken on March 27th: These photos were taken on April 1st: However, when I compare a fallen blossom from these trees (circled) to blossoms from the trees at the end of the bus loop and in front of Wesbrook Building, they look very similar! So I do not know.
There are 4 trees on the other side of the Robert H Lee Alumni Centre (on the side facing the Nest) which may also be 'Akebono.'
