3/26/2024 ' Rancho ' at 177b St & 58 Ave (5850 177b St) ' Accolade' 58Ave 177b St (5772 177b St Apartment) 'Umineko' 58Ave Hwy15 (5794 176 St)
(Screenshot from video) 3/27/2024 'Akebono' at 60b Ave &198 St (18939 60b Ave) 'Akebono' at Latimer Road Elementary 'Akebono' at 60Ave & Enterprise Way
March 29, 2024 [From 86 Ave & 151A St to the end of Spenser Dr] 'Akebono' trees line the entire several blocks of the curvy street. I noticed this relatively young 'Akebono' looks too flat (or concaved) compared to the others nearby. I found that its growth used to be suppressed by the branches of the cedar tree until they were cut recently. Here is the Google Street View, probably from sometime within a year.
https://forums.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/threads/surrey-and-north-delta.61844/page-10#post-436762 March 29, 2024 There aren't too many flowers yet, but I captured some clear photos. 'Autumnalis Rosea', it is.
April 6, 2024 [152 St & 102A Ave, across from Guildford Mall] A row of 'ama-no-gawa' trees by McD's drive-by windows.
April 4, 2024 [15658 102B Ave.] 'Ukon' in 50-60% bloom. [10340 152 St, parking lot near Tim Hortons] I first thought this was 'Pink Perfection', but it must be 'Kanzan' based on the uniform colour of the blossoms. [15754 102B Ave] 'Ito-zakura' ('Shidare-zakura') [9948 151 St] 'Tai-haku', true to its name, boasts truly large and impressive flowers.
It was already evening when I noticed this tree on Clark Drive at Fairlight Crescent in North Delta. I was having trouble accepting it as 'Shirotae' because there seemed to be so much upright growth, but I ruled out 'Ukon' because of the complete absence of green or red striping on flowers past their prime, and ruled out 'Ichiyo' because of the absence of phylloid pistils, and none of the more rare trees we know seemed to really fit. Here is a group of trees with the typical 'Shirotae' habit I see: https://forums.botanicalgarden.ubc....e-lamirage_cutler_20220411_135852-jpg.226367/. I have finally decided that the upright growth is the result of pruning-caused suckers that have grown enough that they fooled me into thinking they were the natural habit.
4/14/2024 'Kanzan' ,'Tai-haku', 'Ichiyo' , 'Shiro-fugen' , 'Shirotae', 'Ito-kukuri' at Darts Hill Garden Park 'Ichiyo' 'Ito-kukuri' (not sure?) 'Shiro-fugen' 'Tai-haku' 'Shirotae' 'Kanzan'
Well, now I have decided it's 'Ukon'. I remember thinking it was not as white as a sweet cherry off in the distance. Last night, the petals on the ground seemed more green than 'Shirotae' would be.
[155 St. near 100 Ave.] This tree is over the fence, so I couldn't tell whether it was 'Okame' or 'Whitcomb' when I first spotted it. After studying photos of both cultivars, I went back a few days later and now think it's 'Whitcomb'.
'Kanzan' blossoms in north Surrey are currently at their peak. [101 Ave, from 157 to 159 St] [102B Ave & 158 St] And the "magical" two-tone trees on 156 St, north of 100 Ave.
[15657 102B Ave] 'Ukon' is showing a pinkish hue mixed with its usual greenish-yellow, as it's nearing the end of the season. Here’s the same 'Ukon' tree, 12 days ago. [15619 102B Ave] 'Ichiyo' is also past its peak, with the petals starting to fade and the centres turning red. The same 'Ichiyo' tree, 12 days ago.
[Bear Creek Park, east side] I found blooming 'Shirofugen'. Most of my photos are not focused on the flowers because I was in a hurry, but the one focused close-up photo shows a very interesting blossom with green leaves(?) in the middle. Photos taken on June 16, 2025
That's what's so nifty about 'Shiro-fugen' - finding those phylloid (leafy) pistils, usually in June. When you examine them closely, you can see that the veining on those is not the same as on the leaves. And in the fifth photo, with the white petals in the centre, it gives the impression that it's pushing out a second story flower. That would be the case if there are stamens and pistils below the white petals. Thanks for posting those. I haven't noticed any around me, but I haven't been looking.
[96 Ave & 128 St, Chevron Gas Station] These are listed on the map as 'Akebono', however, I noticed that they have characteristics of 'Somei-Yoshino'. None of them is conclusive on its own, but enough for me to suspect they might be 'Somei-Yoshino'. - couldn’t find a single petaloid despite a careful search - blooming earlier than other 'Akebono' in Surrey - broad tree shape, not grafted - visible fine hairs on the pedicels and calyx tubes
This is in the courtyard of a townhome complex at 9940 151 St. About 20 'Akebono' trees are in full bloom. And there is one tree with clusters of almost-open blooms that look like pink kettle corn. :)
'Beni-Shidare' [15754 102b Ave] 'Akebono' trees in this area are about 30-40% in bloom. [158th Street, between 101a and 102b Ave] [101a St & 157 St]
Deborah Jones, streamkeeper in North Delta, has sent along these photos from the Jarvis Elementary School Rain Garden. In the first photo, the one on the left was planted in 2013 at the time of rain garden installation.
Two parallel cul-de-sacs, a block apart, are lined with beautiful mature ‘Akebono’ trees. [97 Ave & 152b St] [97a Ave & 152b St]
