Re: West Point Grey These were mistakenly posted in West Point Grey, but they belong in UBC, as they're west of Alma. [edited by wcutler 20090717: actually, they belong in West Point Grey, but the second location does belong in UBC. We have a new map now, and the boundaries are much more clear. These look like Shirotae and maybe they are, but if the UBC Shirotae are past their prime, how could these at 6th and Drummond Drive (near UBC) be Shirotae and just be opening now? The petal edges and peduncle and pedicel length are not right for Shogetsu. I think I remember them having a nice fragrance. This seems like it would be a private planting, but it's on the boulevard. These on the median and north side of 16th approaching UBC might also be Shirotae, but they don't seem to have that fresh green and white appearance of Shirotae. I didn't notice that at the time so didn't take any closeups.
These are the Tai Haku planted outside UBC Botanical Garden, which Douglas referred to in his April 20, 2008 Blog article.
Re: Ubc - Shirotae at University Village They're past their peak now but might still be worth a look - there are at least 60 trees on both sides of the Regent Colege building - check out the Google satellite map (from two or three years ago, conveniently photographed in the spring).
Re: * POSTED - Ojochin & 7 cultivars at Nitobe Garden On May 7, the Ojochin was completely finished, but the Shogetsu, Kanzans, Shirofugens and Taki-nioi were all in bloom. PIctured are the Shogetsu (with the green leaves) and Taki-nioi.
Last Kanzans in Vancouver?! posted on May14 UBC area is rather slower than other part of Vancouver. So some Kanzans were still blooming yesterday(May 13). On May 10, they were at the peek bloom. They bloomed almost without leaves. There are a row of Kanzans at the centre of University BLVD from Blanca St to Westbrook Mall.
Re: * POSTED - Ojochin (now Taki-nioi) & 7 cultivars at Nitobe Garden This is not a timely posting. I just found photos posted on the forums from Nitobe Garden after the snowfall in January. That's the Ojochin on the left, and the Taki-nioi on the right. And there are two more photos on the Botany Photo of the Day posting for January 31, 2008.
Re: Ubc - Autumn colours Here are some autumn colours to separate Spring, 2008 cherries from the next season's. These are the Somei-yoshino on Lower Mall.
Re: Ubc - FIRST POSTING IN 2009 First posting in 2009 We don't have the Somei-yoshinos on Lower Mall posted in the snow, so here they are, March 9, 2009. No blossoms yet, of course. These Whitcombs don't seem that far behind the ones in the West End, though it's hard to tell, with the trees covered with the snow. But by the description, they seem to be almost a month behind some other UBC Whitcombs that were posted last year. I have no idea what camera setting that was for the first photo, which I've retouched in Photoshop Elements, but I liked it. My new camera seems to turn the settings dial all by itself.
Re: Ubc - Okames I was surprised to see that the Okames ( Prunus x incamp 'Okame' (P. incisa x P. campanulata) at Fraser Parkade are so far along. Last year they were posted on March 19, so maybe they are two weeks later. Only the more sickly tree nearest the Nitobe Garden had open blossoms, but it generally didn't have as much colour as the ones at the parkade. So they're not really in bloom yet. But their bloom time at UBC seems to be pretty much the same as Whitcombs. I should mention that these blossoms are very small, less than 2cm across the face of the flower. Someone could keep an eye on the Whitcomb (or are there two?) on Marine Drive at I think the intersection is Agronomy Rd. It's pretty colourful but not in full bloom. [Edited 2013mar13 by wcutler: these are no longer there].
I've posted a bunch of photos of virus-free cherries grown in an orchard at the UBC Farm as a reply to an article Douglas Justice wrote in his blog last year. I was there for the Trek to the Farm march to save all 24 hectares of the farm from condo development (the politicos seem to think 4 hectares is plenty), and I parked where instructed to, in the FP Innovations lot on Wesbrook south of 16th, almost across from the Farm entrance. This parking lot, on its north side, has about 40 Shirotae trees in just about the worst shape of any cherries I've ever seen. They're very close together and overrun by salal and I forget what that is growing behind them. The ones at the far end of the lot are not too bad-looking, and then they get smaller and in worse and worse shape as you look along the row. Toward the street, the rootstock has taken over on most of them. The trek started at SUB. North of SUB, at the entrance to the North Parkade, I was completely surprised to see five Autumnalis Rosea trees in what passes for bloom on that cultivar. The trees don't look that great, but there are more flowers than on any West End ones of that cultivar. Akebonos outside the David Lam Learning Centre are quite protected. Only this one area had open blossoms. There's a nice street of Akebonos (I think) yet to open at Stores Road and Main Mall (or else the other way around). [Edited by wcutler 3014mar27] Janet Gabites tells me these are on Agronomy Road between Main Mall and East Mall, and yes, I see them on Google Maps there. I've fixed the marker on the festival map. Two Accolades outside The Barn on Main Mall are starting to open. [Edited by wcutler 3014mar27] I see that the photo names say Akebono, but they really are the 'Accolade' trees.
I went to UBC on Tuesday April 14, 2009. The Somei-Yoshino are at their 90% Bloom. The Lower Mall area is one of my favorites.
Yes, the Yoshino are beautiful. By Thursday, April 16, a grand spectacle on Lower Mall. Check out the Shirotae at the Parkade across from the Asian Centre. 3 of the 6 are almost in full bloom and the other three are just beginning.
Accolade Beautiful accolades (certainly one of my favorite cultivars) showing bright pink double blossoms abundantly grown on branches (sigh~!). Also note the wide umbrella shaped tree. Glad that this early cultivar was still growing in mid-season (April 13, 2009) at UBC.
At the start of the season, I could not tell apart Somei-yoshino and Akebono. Both have light pink blossoms, umbrella-shaped trees, and grow in mid-season. Today, I learn several ways to tell them apart: 1. Akebono has an extra staminode (false petal) in 1 in approximately 20-30 flowers 2. Somei-yoshino have 'sturdier' blossoms; Akebono blossoms appear 'fluffier'. 3. Somei-yoshino are lighter pink in colour; Akebono blossoms are of slightly darker pink shade 4. Somei-yoshino bloom a little earlier than Akebono 5. Most young trees are Akebono, as mentioned in Wendy's previous post Here are some pictures of Somei-yoshino (taken near Chan Centre on April 13, 2009): Here are some pictures of Akebono to compare (taken near Asian Centre on April 13, 2009):
Taki-nioi and others Only the Prunus Sato-zakura Group 'Ojochin' is in flower on April 25, 2009. It's the pink marker at the top of the purple line representing the path. The green marker indicates Shirotae outside the parkade which looked beautiful on April 25. The pink marker at the top of the map is a Tai Haku to the left of International House on West Mall. The Prunus Sato-zakura Group 'Taki-nioi' seems to be about two weeks from blooming, but I'm not at all good at that kind of estimate. Its position is marked by the pink pushpin. The yellow marker nearby is a Shogetsu.
Re: West Point Grey May 4, 2009 Kanzans on Chancellor BLVD were full Bloom today. I think those are Last Kanzans blooming in Vancouver. There was 1 Shirotae still have floweres.(finishing) Kanzans in UBC Golf Course were also full bloom. Last year those and ones in Tisdall Park (W 49th & Ash) were last Kansans I saw. But this year ones in the Tisdall Park started blooming earlier. I saw 1 Kiku-shidare finishing at private garden (4947 College Highroad).
Re: Taki-nioi and others The Taki-nioi is in bloom now, May 6 (I was told it was looking good on May 2). I'm hoping I convinced a visitor to post her photos. But if she doesn't, you can see what it looked like last year.
Here are a few photos from Douglas Justice's Talk and Walk on April 24: the Shirotae at the meeting spot at the Fraser Parkade, Tai Haku at International House, a Kanzan somewhere, and another Tai Haku. I didn't remember to capture the street signs.
Just some pictures I took while I spent some time in Vancouver. From the Japanese Garden at the University.