I was pushing it a bit, n’est-ce pas, in my comments on January 30 in the Blossoming Time Variability thread thread, talking about all those cherries being in bloom, but I was keen to have that posting about blossoms in January. Now, two weeks later, the 'Whitcomb' cherries are really out, full bloom in several spots, and about a week away in others. Last year, the March and Early April cultivars came out together, in April. This year, you at least get to learn about 'Whitcomb' separately. The Neighbourhood Blogs threads at the top of the list have photos of 'Whitcomb' in bloom. 'Accolade' cherries are showing some blossoms now too. Last year (a late year) they were out around April 10; this year, it’s almost two months earlier. No knock-your-socks off photo ops for these yet, but they seem only about a week away in the West End, so maybe two weeks elsewhere. Unless we get winter. Both of these cultivars usually have a few blossoms in January and February. But it's early for them to be fully in bloom. We have them in our Ornamental Cherries book listed as blooming in March. Some not-cherries in bloom now, or starting up, that people confuse with cherries. Viburnums - see photos in the Cultivar IDs Viburnums thread Red maples - I wouldn't mention it, but people keep asking if they're cherries <== Note: not a cherry Plums - see photos in the Cultivar IDs Plums thread If you’re not sure what’s a plum and what’s 'Whitcomb' cherry, now is the time get out to the places 'Whitcomb' have been posted in the Neighbourhood Blogs to see what they look like, as the plums will be out to confuse you soon – they’re starting to open in the West End. Here's a plum -------------- and a 'Whitcomb' cherry. The way the plum buds stick out singly from the twigs like little popsicles seems very characteristic and not at all like cherries. If you can identify your plums at this stage, it will be easier than when the flowers are open. The only thing you'd mistake the pink plums for are 'Whitcomb' cherries, and 'Whitcomb' do not have leaves when they're in flower and plums do have some leaves.
Miss Lindsay's Plum is blooming here, in my garden so it may be out in Victoria as well. Vancouver needs to get some of this going, that one shot posted on this site last year or earlier of those big ones on a street in Victoria was breathtaking. Mine is one of perhaps very few in the US. I have seen it listed as being in the collections of the US National Arboretum, otherwise I have no knowledge of any others down here.
Here's a link to the posting in the Plums "Neighbourhood Blog". Also see Ron's description of them, posting #56 in that same thread.
