Isn't that the greatest tree? Maybe we'll get an ID in this thread in Ornamental Cherries: http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=77927
'Kanzan' on 20th from Oak to Laurel are looking splendid - still enough flowers on the trees, and about as many on the ground.
It looks like we've decided on 'Choshu-hizakura'. We've met Susanna Hung now, the owner of the tree, who sent along these photos, taken, I'm guessing, about a week before Anne's photos, though maybe even somewhat before that. The tree was there when Susanna moved into the house in 1992. The house is over 70 years old. She tried to get an ID from a neighbour's sister in Tokyo, but the sister wasn't able to identify it. Susanna is delighted to have an ID for the tree and has graciously allowed Douglas Justice to take tip cuttings for the propagation project.
This tree was entered onto the festival map by Monica, who wrote that her father planted it at the house where she grew up. She doesn't live there any more - the photos she sent me are from 2007. Monica hasn't told me when it was planted, but "I grew up in the house" certainly makes it seem that it should be at least 15 years old or more. I'm thinking that this may have been a cutting that her father made, and that's why the tree looks so delicate for a 'Kanzan'. [Edited by wcutler 2014apr3]: Monica has written back to me: "I checked with my dad and he said he planted that around 1988/1989. It was grown from seed and was already fairly large when he planted it. He bought it from a nursery in Marpole that no longer exists (it was at Hudson and 57th)". So, 25 years old.
We know two 'Jo-nioi' in the city, and they're so close you can catch them both on the same trip. The other is at VanDusen. This one has been reported before, at the north end of the RCMP Headquarters on Heather at 33rd. Quite fragrant. The 'Jo-nioi' and the 'Takasago' planted next to it are both in not great shape - there is quite a bit of fungus on a 'Takasago' limb. I guess they're planning for the future with the planting of a new low-grafted 'Shirofugen', admittedly not brilliantly photographed.
True to its name, the Bloomfield Gardens complex on the east side of Oak street, north of W. 41st Avenue, has Akebono trees blooming along its front yard at March 12, 2015.
Re: Fairview Detail of a beautiful 'Akebono' tree at the corner of West 23rd and Heather Street (northwest side)
Takasago is finishing its bloom at the RCMP Fairmont site, south side W. 33, west of Heather, next to the Jo-nio blooming on March 31, 2015.
Despite the gaping wound filled with water, which it obviously sustained years ago at the RCMP Fairmont Site (southside W. 33, west of Heather), Jo-nioi carries on, fragrant and flowering on March 31, 2015.
Whole streets of Ukon on Baillie at 37th and onto 41st are basking in the sun. There is a distinct saffron hue to the blossoms but not nearly as pronounced as the ones in Kerrisdale.
But THE book also states:" 'Ukon' is somewhat problematic as the expression of flower colour can change markedly from year to year and there are presumably a number of different plants under this name." Remember on the walk in the rain in Kerrisdale, we saw some that were almost lime green? Anyway, whatever the colour or spice, they are gorgeous trees....
I finally got to visit the Jo-nioi at the old RCMP headquarters that Anne told me about. The scent was amazing. Jo nioi, means "supreme scent' and they are not kidding! Unfortunately it was after the sun had set so the photos are a combo of flash and dusky. I stuck in a photo of the moon rising behind the clouds, quite nice on a Good Friday Evening amongst the cherry blossoms!
While visiting the Jo Nioi there was a semi double pink with a dark centre, lots of petaloids next to Jo Nioi. It is also multi branched from the ground. What is it??? Thanks to Annes post it is a Takasago. Looking different from the one I saw last week at Stanley park. But last weeks one was just coming out and this weeks one is probably going over. They fade to pale pink and get a dark centre as the flower ages. If you look really hard at the dark photo of the reverse of the flower you may be able to see that extra sepal. There are 3 "crown like" sepals pointing up and I would guess there are at least 3 more pointing down. However I did not check that out as I did not know it was Takasago I was looking at at the time!
We found ourseves at 37th and ash and there was another mystery cherry. This tree looking a bit stunted in growth habit, but the flowers were very plentiful, even in the dark!. They reminded me of those pink pompoms that you use to decorate your car when you got married......or at least they did 30 years ago. These ones were very similar to the ones we had observed earlier over at RCMP headquarters and again thanks to Anne and Wendy I believe they are also Tagasako. Lots of petaloids, semi double pink with dark pink centre, sepals are broad and short but I don't seen any extra sepals in this photo for the reverse flower. The first photo was taken with a LED flashlight shining on it, hence the weird lilac colour!
Only the first week of April, but a young Shirofugen tree on the RCMP grounds at south side W.33, west of Heather, has opened its first blossoms on April 5, 2015. I can see protruding stigmas on some of the buds, like Ichihara-toro-no-o. Beside it, the Jo-nioi is still going strong and fragrant as Lisa noted, while the Takasago is finishing.
Tonight I was walking over to Douglas Park along 22nd from Cambie west to Heather-the Kanzan were in full bloom-and there are also some on Heather just before the Park between 21st and 23rd.. West 22nd was particularly lovely east of Heather particularly around Tupper and Ash! I really appreciate these later bloomers as the Somei-yoshino that were so gorgeous earlier in Douglas Park are mainly over. There was a note on the map that a photo was needed here so hope these are useful!!!
Guess what - another 'Kiku-zakura', on 21st between Ash and Laurel! Just one tree, not in quite as good shape as the ones on Maple St, but still, not to be dismissed! Thanks to Andy Phillips for the flower photo. Surely the 'Kiku-zakura' came in as 'Takasago', as that's what the non-'Kanzan' are on the block, around five of them. And the 'Kanzan' on the block. Three new entries for the map. The 'Kanzan' on 20th east from Oak are already on the map. On Heather north of 18th is another block of 'Kanzan'. Heather Park, on the south side of 18th, has a new 'Yae-beni-shidare' with just enough remaining flowers to ID it. At 18th and Laurel is one not very healthy 'Ama-no-gawa', but it will do if you need to see one. Nice of the folks to protect this 'Kiku-shidare-zakura' at 18th and Willow, but it might not really have been worth it.
I forgot one - we went down the block to see what turned out to be a magnolia, but across the street was a nice 'Shogetsu', on the south side of 17th east of Oak. It's low grafted (if grafted) and looking very healthy.
