A new beautiful little 'Yae-beni-shidare' is blooming in the Riley Park playground, near the Climbing Boulder (east side of Ontario, where E. 32 would be) at April 4, 2026. It has a lot of space to spread its wings (i.e. the slender, arching branches).
One of the few 'Mikuruma-gaeshi' still around is in full bloom on the south side of W. 37th, west of Alberta, at April 8, 2026. Usually 5-petal flowers, but supposedly could have both single and double flowers on the same corymb, although I haven't been able to catch it 'Mikuruma-gaeshi's pale pink flowers look like they are haunted by lavender ghosts, as you can see the darker streakings in the petals. Also, notice the extra petaloids.
'Gyoiko' trees on Ontario Street at 19th Avenue are blooming nicely. However it is barely to see green strips on flowers.
We seem to be going back and forth with this location. Are we definitely changing from 'Ukon' to 'Gyoiko'? The bloom seems to be inconsistent year after year. Here's what they looked like in April 13, 2020 at post #219, with much paler flowers.
Not only is year after-year an issue, but when there is more than one tree, we can't assume, like I usually want to do, and I know I'm not alone, that the trees are all the same. The seven trees in front of the Sutton Place Hotel on Burrard Street, in the West End thread, are a good example - six 'Shirotae' and an 'Ukon'. If there are 'Gyoiko' being planted, it's almost certain they arrived labeled as 'Ukon' and would be mixed in with 'Ukon' trees in any planting of more than one tree. This location at Ontario and 19th is at the moment the only 'Gyoiko' location on our map other than Stanley Park. Hmm, I guess that's because I have not put the one at UBCBG Wharton Grove, a cutting from the Stanley Park tree, on the map, along with several other cultivars there.
Tao, see my comment immediately above. How many of the trees at Ontario and 19th have flowers with green markings like that. If not all three, which tree(s) has the markings? Of the trees with green markings, roughly what percent of the flowers have those markings? Write me if you can't get back there and I'll try to send someone (or look for my old photos).
Wendy, Sorry to say that I cannot remember which tree had green strips, which didn't. In my memory, they were all beautiful, very green or greenish. Today, I looked at each of trees to try to find green strips or greenish flowers, I don't see one. How about I go there one more time tomorrow to look at them and record results for each of trees in the case that I missed one. Will let you know tomorrow.
Went to Ontario Street at E 19th Avenue again this morning, here is what I found: 1. There are 5 trees, see location of each tree on following map. 2. All trees have flowers with green strips. 3. Among five trees, tree 5's flowers are more greener than other trees. 4. Flowers with green strips hard to be found, they seem to be in the higher portion of trees. 5. Tree 5: 6. Tree 4: 7. Tree 3 has a branch with a lot of flowers with green strips. 8. Tree 2: 9. Tree 1: I only got one clear photo, other flowers with green strips are too high for my phone.
'Yae-beni-shidare' on 3489 Quebec Street is in full bloom. Owner said he puts Christmas lights on it in the night.
But it was a good one - looking very 'Gyoiko'-like. Well, they all do. Thanks for doing that. I know you don't live anywhere near there.
Avium plena on Midlothian and Cambie (across from QE Park) April 14 - very hard to photograph (because they're so tall). I got one photo as close as I could get, two more from the bus stop across Midlothian, and another from the moving bus:
I also took one shot of the Ukon/Gyoiko on Ontario at 18th today (April 15): They don't look nearly as green in my photo, but it's admittedly not very high quality.
A single 'Shogetsu' is in bloom on the grounds near the 33rd Avenue parking lot of Queen Elizabeth Park, surrounded by five 'Shirotae cherry trees. Photo of the long dangling flower stems. (pedicels) and the phylloid pistil emerging from flower centre. A comparison of the 'Shogetsu' look with its fringed-edged petals (left) and the aging 'Shirotae' bloom with the red centres and the more copious green leaves.
You can also imagine the moonlight on pine trees meaning of the 'Shogetsu' in that photo, which couldn't apply at all to the 'Shirotae' photo.
Two beautiful 'Kanzan' trees at Queen Elizabeth Park at the corner of Combie street and W 29th avenue
