I'm surprised that I never posted what were two nice 'Shirotae' at the Aquarium. The first photo is from 2010. The whole entrance area seems to have been replaced with what I think are native plantings, and a lot of native concrete. They seem to be very happy with their new look.
We don't often get to see 'Autumnalis Rosea' flowers with the leaves. For one thing, with the leaves, these tiny flowers are even less visible. The photos are deceptive - the flowers are not even 2cm across. These are the oft-posted trees in the lane behind the hostel on Burnaby at Thurlow.
Here are the same trees with their very early blossoms and old leaves but a magnificent blue sky to show them off.
One Accolade tree in the grove beside the Aquatic Centre believes it's spring and is catching up to the Autumnalis rosea a couple of blocks away. In the next couple of days when I won't be in Vancouver and the sky is supposed to be blue, I hope someone will manage to get a good New Year picture of these beauties.
This 'Whitcomb' tree on Nelson at Bute is not fully in bloom, but it has lots of colour as of February 2. Someone not (yet) related to the festival mentioned it to me yesterday. This is early, but it's not the earliest for this tree. On February 5, 2010, I declared all the West End 'Whitcomb' to be "in bloom". This tree this year is maybe 50% open. The ones at the other end of the block are not as far along as this one.
Ding! These 'Whitcomb' are IN BLOOM, according to my definition of being visible from two blocks away. The first are at Nicola mini-park at Pendrell, and the others are on Nicola at Beach. This 'Autumnalis Rosea' tree was also a splash of colour today. It's one of a dozen trees that now are very unexciting. I was away for the winter, don't know if the others had their moment or what, but this one looks better than I've ever seen any of them.
I didn't realize when I saw the trees at the Nicola mini-park at Pendrell, see the previous posting, that they looked so good because one of the 'Autumnalis Rosea' trees is missing. I'm not sure why they left the rootstock trunk; maybe it will eventually get removed. 'Accolade' trees are not yet looking good, not yet worth photos. The ones at the Aquatic Centre have a lot of flowers, but seem like they could still be a week from being in bloom.
According to the criterion of "two blocks away pink", I think that the Accolades near the Aquatic Centre were in bloom on Tuesday--here are two pictures I took then. The slightly blurred image is because my camera simply doesn't do telephoto images very well.
In the new version of our book, we're using the name ito-zakura for the Prunus subhirtella var. pendula to which we have not given a more specific name. So that's what I'm calling the two white trees that have appeared here several times before. You can see the darker 'Beni-shidare' between them, and the one with no open flowers is the later-blooming 'Yae-beni-shidare'. Around the corner are what's left of what used to be the same sort of collection.
'Accolade' this year are driving me crazy. Here in the West End, supposedly the first neighbourhood to bloom, are the 'Accolade' trees at the mini-park at Comox and Chilco. The trees in the minipark are at the same not-yet-blooming stage. Across the lane, here are 'Accolade' trees in full bloom. All these trees have always been 'Accolade'; they have been reported here every year. Sue Wagner reported this cultivar in full bloom at the Aquatic Centre on February 19. I thought the 21st was more like it, but whatever, that was nine days before these trees of the same cultivar barely started to bloom. A block from the Aquatic Centre are two 'Accolade' trees that have as many flowers open as the Comox trees - just enough to confirm that they're not something else. I also saw this in in several places on Pender Street in Strathcona, the three blocks of 'Accolade' trees, with two trees next to each other, one almost fully open and the other with 10 flowers open and the rest buds. As far as I can tell, all 'Pandora' on our map are fully open now. 'Accolade' should be blooming right after 'Whitcomb', with 'Pandora', according to previous years, blooming several days to two weeks later.
This is that location, on Pacific Street at Burrard, fully open now. There were some flowers five days ago - the blossom photo was taken then.
The triplet Akebonos near the skate board park on the seawall are in full bloom for St. Patrick's Day. Their location with the Planetarium and the Burrard Street Bridge in the background makes them a great attraction for tourists and locals. Unfortunately the tree nearest the water seems to be in danger as it is being overtaken by its rootstock.
Hey, an addition to the list of what cherries are in this neighbourhood: Star Cherry. I have seen it in previous years and assumed it was 'Beni-shidare', but just as well that I don't seem to have posted it. It's on the road right over the bike overpass between Ceperley meadow and Ceperley playground. There are actually two of these trees very close together, so they appear as if one tree, an old wizened one and one with a diameter of around 8cm. I have no idea if the second is a seedling or what its story is. The 'Snow Goose' along Ceperley Meadow are coming along, though the three closest to the underpass are not looking too good. These two old 'Shirotae' at Lost Lagoon are just past their prime; they still smell lovely. The next photo shows two young 'Shirotae' planted on the lagoon side of the path. From the same vantage point, way off in the distance is a grove of young 'Akebono', around six or seven years old, just before the underpass to Coal Harbour. In the same area as the 'Shirotae' are two old 'Somei-yoshino', looking nothing like 'Akebono'. Also right near there are the three 'Autumnalis Rosea', still trying to be players. Just a few flowers on each. The 'Gyoiko' along the Rhody path, near the maintenance yard, has not opened at all. Buds are much more green than the leaves at this point. The nearby 'Shujaku' has nothing open yet, but buds are red.
Under the old Ojochin at the Japanese War Memorial with Bill Stephen and Wendy Cutler on a very rainy day. A great walk and talk!
It's mazzard, sweet cherry. Your photo nicely captures the curled-back sepals. 'Tai-haku' flowers are very large. You can see flowers now on Nelson between Gilford and Chilco, south side.
Ichiyo in full bloom- on north side of lane between Barclay and Nelson, east of Cardero. On private property behind fence.
Gyoiko Tree planted inside fence at Pitch and Putt - Stanley Park. Looks like it is strangled by some vines.
Two handsome Tai-haku trees on south side of Nelson between Gilford and Chilco. Near the end of bloom.