Identification: Shosar - single pink, upright, mid-season, was: Is this Whitcomb?

We saw these trees in full bloom on Minoru Blvd between Lansdowne and Alderbridge on April 7. From the flowers we thought they were Whitcomb and labeled them as such. However, from the shape of the trees, we have doubts. Are they Whitcomb?

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Dingren & Martin :)

 

Re: Is this Whitcomb?

The flower is different also.

 

Re: Is this Whitcomb?

Thanks for your reply, Ron. So you think even the flowers are not exactly Whitcomb. If not Whitcomb, any hint what it is then?

 

Re: Is this Whitcomb?

More in the style of Sargent cherry than a Higan cherry like 'Whitcomb'. If you're interested in looking at the different kinds there, telling them apart you might want to make use of the new cherry guide.

http://www.vcbf.ca/node/602

 

Re: Is this Whitcomb?

I didn't think we had anything like that in our guide, Ron. The only dark single pinks we have are Whitcombs, which aren't this upright, and Ranchos, which are more upright and not flat topped like these.

To me, these flowers and Whitcomb flowers look really similar. I was impressed that you found them different and wondered what you'd noticed. These are all Dingren and Martin's photos, the Whitcombs from their flickr postings on our festival page there. First is this unknown, posted above; I think the other two are Whitcombs.


We'll just add them to our list of unknowns discovered this year. It's interesting that you mention they're Sargent-like. One of our themes this year seems to be getting a handle on what that means.

 

Re: Is this Whitcomb?

I've only got the above photos to go by.

 

Re: Is this Whitcomb?

How about 'Shosar'? Image below is from plant in the Landscape Plant Improvement Association (virus indexed cherry cultivar) Orchard at UBC (last year).

 

Re: Is this Whitcomb?

I think we have a winner. Sure looks the same, anyway.

"(P. incisa x P. campanulata) x P. Sargentii

SHOSAR CHERRY. Bred by C. Ingram in England. In North American commerce [before/during]1990. Extremely rare. Tree narrowly upright, broadly fastigiate; strong. Flowers single, 1 1/2" wide, deep cerise-pink - like those of P. Sargentii but 2-3 weeks earlier. Flower-stems and calyx deep red. Fall color usually good"

-- A.L. Jacobson, North American Landscape Trees (1996, Ten Speed, Berkeley)

If I were up there finding unfamiliar cherries that had been planted out in multiples on streets I would keep checking them against those in the orchard, because Douglas had written that the local industry had made use of it at one time.

I would also be recording the sizes of some of these rare ones, as well as common ones that looked big also. Trunk measurements of those grafted on sweet cherry would be taken above the graft line.

 

Re: Is this Whitcomb?

I distinctly remember there were a few 'Shosar' in the Richmond nursery where I worked (Jones Nursery) 'round about 1988. I recall they had been propagated and sold to us by Cannor Nursery (Chilliwack, BC). I didn't think much of the trees at the time. They seemed very thin and not very floriferous, but they were probably only one or two year-old grafts at the time.

The plants pictured here are presumably city trees. I wonder if the City of Richmond keeps accurate records of their street trees? I'll try to take a look at the Richmond trees when I'm back from Vancouver Island next week. And I'll go check on the progress of the 'Shosar' trees in the UBC orchard, too.

 

Re: Is this Whitcomb?

I just posted a tree and blossom photo in your Cherry Orchard blog article.

 

Re: Is this Whitcomb?

Mr. Jacobson e-mailed that after N.A.L.T. came out he saw some listings in the catalog collection at Van Dusen indicating the tree was being offered in BC by the late 1970's (he gave the exact years but I've forgotten already).