Thanks Wendy, for taking me to Nitobe Memorial Garden today. We got there just in time to see the 'Taki-nioi' and 'Shogetsu', before they expire. 'Shiro-fugen' too.
Acadia Road, lined is lined with 'Kanzan' from Chancellor to University Blvd, already on the map. But there is one 'Shogetsu' in the mix, on the West side south of Wycliffe. Photos are from last Friday, four days ago.
Whitcomb in bloom at UBC Botanical Gardens parking lot. ....2 of the trees were quite far along in blossom, but one of them was still pretty tight in bud. While on the cherry walk given by Douglas on Saturday we were told that one of the 3 whit combs had been moved this year? so that may be why 2 of them were further along then the third.
Ah, I was wondering what was going on outside the West End. I'm not in Vancouver now, but was assuming temperatures have been hovering around 10 degrees, with the West End just over and the rest of the city just under that.
Those 'Whitcomb' that @Lisa L posted are still blooming! I have posted photos in the Talk about UBCBG forum: Ornamental Cherries at UBCBG 2019. The 'Okame' at the Fraser Parkade are in full bloom. This isn't really 'Okame' country, but they look lovely from a distance.
A few big old and some younger cherry trees inside Nitobe Gardens this afternoon. Some of those big old trees were a lot larger than what I see downtown.
This big old cherry tree outside the Liu Institute on West Mall was attracting birds and birdwatchers this afternoon.
a row of what I believe to be Shirotae along the walk way between UBC hospitals Purdy Pavilion and Koerner Pavilion. This closest to the Health Sciences parkade, they are on the south side of the pathway closer to Purdy as you walk towards the side entrance of Koerner. Lots of fine hairs along the leaf margins, Bracts and Bracteole? (is that the long slender triangular leaflet at the base of the leaf?). double to semi double, and petaloids also within the flower. No scent of almond yesterday, and the petals are fading to pink but last week they were very white with that fresh green leaf. these are young trees with that broad v shape.
3 quite old trees that are just coming out into blossom. Copper red new growth to leaf, Pink flower in bud, double and then change to white when in flower, will then deepen back to pink as the flower ages according to Douglas's ID Book. They have that elephant trunk stamen so must be ShiroFugen! I've wondered for years what they were. There may be one more on the other side of the parkade, I saw it in my rear view mirror as I was driving home. these 3 are on the south east corner just as you exit the parkade to cross health Sciences Mall. They have a UBC accession tag of 3152. Maybe someone has a record of what year they were planted?? are they grafted plants?? after the discussion on Douglas's walk on Saturday I wonder. Not as congested at the top and bark looks similar top and bottom but ?? would they have been planted after the parkade was built ?? ...1980
They appear to be low-grafted 'Shiro-fugen'. @dt-van, do you still have your old copy of "1999 UBC Tree Inventory"? You looked up a tree for a query 11 years ago - are you able to look up this one?? Lisa, that data did not have the year, though, and Denis / Teresa quickly found one on the inventory that was obviously wrong.
part of Douglas Justice's Cherry walk at UBC on Saturday April 20. This one is Ichiyo. Beautiful double flowers with darker pink on the outer petal and softer pink on the inner, and you can see the stamens. A very pretty tree. Douglas said that is commonly planted amongst Shiro-fugen by Van Parks Board. Ichiyo is more vigorous and later to bloom. He said that cuttings were collected in 2012, it was planted out at the nursery in 2014 and planted at this site at UBC in 2018. Probably too many pics, but such a lovely tree with its subtle colouring and such a great morning for taking photos... Douglas's id book said there is a phylloid leafy style in the centre of most flowers. the name Ichiyo me ands 'One leaf 'referring to this. Not sure if I see that on a couple of the flowers??
another one from Douglas's walk on Saturday. this one 'Mikuruma-gaeshi' the royal carriage returns. He told us it the name is from the story of the courtiers riding by in their carriage and one saw a beautiful pink cherry with single blossoms and another said no it was double blossoms. They had to go back to check it out. Both single and double blossoms appear on this tree. Douglas said when the trees are young they tend to be singles. He also said that the trees have very few side branches compared to Ichiyo. Very subtle pink colours on the reverse of the petals again giving it a beautiful soft coloration. Love the hairy, soft green leaves with a bit of a curly q on the edges of the hairs.
again on Douglas's walk. Tai Haku outside the fence. These are not on their own rootstock, but are grafted plants. Huge white flowers, bronzy new growth.
a row of Somei-Yoshino at thunderbird blvd. an older planting, they are not grafted plants. Finished flowering. Douglas said Somei-yoshino has a more relaxed canopy compared to "Akebono'. There are many Somei-yoshino's in Vancouver that are greater than 50 years old. Many may have come from Japan but after the late 1970's there was a ban on stone fruit importation so no longer were cherry trees allowed to be imported. :( There are some branches with clustered bright green leaves. Douglas said this was due to Disease issues with the Somei-yoshinos in Vancouver's climate. The cultivar 'Akebono' is not susceptible to this disease. 'Akebono' is planted more commonly now due to this, it was discovered as a seedling in a California nursery in the 1920's amongst the Somei-yoshino's.
Almost true, but if the 'Akebono' are hanging around with 'Somei-yoshino' that have it, as in Stanley Park, they can get it too. The 'Akebono' trees at the Stanley Park Rose Garden all have it.
Interesting to hear Douglas describe the plans for that area: alternate trees will be removed and replaced with ungrafted ones of the same cultivar. In a subsequent year, the rest of the original trees will be removed.
and one more from Douglas's walk. Shiro fugen very close to the old Horticultural building- built in 1951 according to UBC archives, love that art deco sign- This cluster of trees next to where west mall curves just past stores road on the west side of west mall. Next to the entrance of an old parking lot. Douglas was telling us about an 'Ito Kukuri' tree that was cut down by UBC some years ago when they redeveloped an area close by. The Shiro Fugen is the white elephant one that has the elephant trunk as one or moreof the stamens. Bronzy copper new growth, tight pink bud opening to white flowers.
I know, again i thought i wouldn't mention it as others may not be too happy to hear about tree removal...... but for longevity that is a better plan as the grafted ones do seem to suffer so much more with disease issues, and get them more quickly.
how long ago did they cut them down? He did say he has some cuttings. I think he said he found some in SE Van and Richmond. Its funny in his book he mentions that they existed in the Victoria-Collingwood area 54th and Wales. That was my old stomping grounds as a kid and I loved the big beautiful cherry tree we had in front of our house, but I have no idea which one it would have been. Unfortunately all those ones have been cut down.
