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Cherry Scouts Photos

A full day of cherry blossom viewing in Vancouver

First, I visit the Accolade cherry trees at Chilco Park (Chilco/Comox). “Hey, the cherry blossoms are out!” said a man cycling by.

Tip: The Accolade blossoms are 70% in bloom. Visit this location within 10 days to enjoy peak blossom.

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Then, I check on the Akebono cherry trees at Burrard skytrain station.  Mostly buds, but the trees at the front (which are exposed to the sun) already have a few flowers.

Tip: It looks like the cherry blossoms will be fully open in 10 days. Visit around March 25 to experience peak bloom.

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Whitcombs cherry blossoms at Ayshire and Aubrey in Burnaby are finally open. The trees are bloomed at 70%.

Tip: Visit within 7 days to catch peak bloom and 10-15 days to be showered in petals.

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Wow! That was an exciting day of cherry scouting!  At night, I sort through my photos. The next day, I post my findings on the UBC botanical garden forum.

Tip: Did you know you can see what’s blooming in your neighbourhood by visiting the UBC botanical garden forum? Click on your neighborhood and navigate to the last page to see what was posted recently.

Additional tip: Create a login and you’ll be able to subscribe to a thread to receive news of blooming trees in your neighbourhood.

If you’d like to learn how to identify cherry trees, visit the VCBF cherry scout page.

Categories
Cherry Scouts Photos

Six stages of cherry blossom development from buds to flowers (infographics)

Six stages of cherry blossoms

Forty thousand cherry trees bloom in Vancouver in the spring. Find a cherry tree in your neighbourhood and watch as the buds develop into fully grown flowers in just a few weeks.

  • Stage one: green round buds
  • Stage two: florets visible
  • Stage three: extension of florets
  • Stage four: peduncle elongation
  • Stage five: fluffy white petals
  • Stage six: peak bloom

Since stage one can last a long time it’s when florets become visible at stage two that we can predict peak bloom is about 20 days away.

The photos feature the buds and blossoms of an Akebono cherry tree, but the stages of development are very similar for all cultivars of cherry blossoms.

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Photos

Our five favourite spots to see Whitcomb cherry trees

Whitcomb cherry trees are blooming in the city. At Nicola Park the trees are fully bloomed while in other areas the Whitcomb have just started to show bright pink blossoms. Visit these five locations in the next week or two to see peak bloom.

1. Nicola Park (corner Pendrell, Downtown)

Whitcomb cherry trees at Nicola Park
Whitcomb cherry trees at Nicola Park (February 15, 2020).

2- Denman (Seawall, Stanley Park)

Whitcomb cherry tree on the seawall at the end of Denman street.
Whitcomb cherry tree on the seawall at the end of Denman street (February 29, 2020).

3. Nicola/Beach (Downtown)

Whitcomb cherry tree at Nicola and Beach.
Whitcomb cherry tree at Nicola and Beach (February 15, 2020).

4. Aubrey/Ayshire (Burnaby)

Whitcomb cherry trees at Aubrey and Ayshire in Burnaby.
Whitcomb cherry trees at Aubrey and Ayshire in Burnaby (February 29, 2020).

5-McSpaden Park

Whitcomb cherry trees at McSpaden Park
Whitcomb cherry trees at McSpaden Park (March 3, 2020)

 

Happy cherry blossom viewing!

Whitcomb cherry blossoms on the seawall at the end of Denman street in Vancouver.
Whitcomb cherry blossoms on the seawall at the end of Denman street in Vancouver (February 29, 2020).

 

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Photos

Beautiful Accolade cherry blossoms at Vancouver City Hall

Vancouver City Hall on a Saturday morning. Perfect time to go see Accolade cherry trees that are starting to bloom on the North Face!

Accolade cherry blossoms Accolade cherry blossoms Accolade cherry blossoms and buds on a branch. Accolade cherry blossoms at Vancouver City Hall

During my visit on February 29, only five percent of the flowers are open.  Visit between March 10-21 to see spectacular blossoms during peak bloom.

You might also be interested in photos of this location in 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015.

Happy cherry blossom viewing!

 

 

Categories
Cherry Scouts Photos

Autumnalis Rosea on Georgia street (Willingdon to Boundary)

It’s time to visit Autumnalis Rosea, our winter-blooming cherries. The tiny blossoms are starting to open.

Autumnalis Rosea cherry blossom on the ground with a nickel

At Georgia street, between Willingdon and Boundary, you’ll find two dozen Autumnalis Rosea cherry trees spread over eight blocks.  Closer to Willingdon, every five trees is an Autumnalis Rosea, but when you reach MacDonald, there are more and more trees closer together, which means more blossoms!

Autumnalis Rosea cherry blossoms at Georgia street with MacDonald street sign. Autumnalis Rosea cherry trees with MacDonald street sign.

If your keep walking towards Ingleton, the city of Vancouver appears at the end of the street.

Autumnalis Rosea cherry trees lining up Georgia street (between Willingdon and Boundary) Autumnalis Rosea cherry trees lining up Georgia street (between Willingdon and Boundary)

During my visit, birds were playing in the trees. Occasionally, I was showered with blossoms.

Autumnalis Rosea cherry blossoms fallen on the ground (Gerogia street, corner Willingdon) Autumnalis Rosea cherry blossom on the ground at Georgia street

Peak bloom. At this location, the flowers peak starting mid-January and should last 2 weeks. Visit on a sunny day for better pictures (Autumnalis Rosea cherry blossoms look great with a blue sky!).

Wanna visit later?  You can expect to see Autumnalis Rosea at this location up till the beginning of April, but the leaves will be out (and Akebono on this street will be stealing the show).

You might also be interested in: Sunny photos of Autumnalis Rosea on Georgia street from January 28 2015.

Check the VCBF neighbourhood map to find Autumnalis Rosea cherry trees in your neighbourhood.

 

Categories
Photos Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

The Big Picnic

The atmosphere was very festive for The Big Picnic at the Queen Elizabeth Park.  Hundreds of people gathered under cherry trees to enjoy a community picnic and watch musical performances while Akebono cherry petals quietly fell all around.

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Join us for more fun under cherry blossoms such as Bike the Blossoms and more activities featured on our community events page.

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Photos Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

Sakura Days Japan Fair

There was so much to experience at Sakura Days Japan Fair: performances on the cherry stage, activities in the Experience Japan and haiku tents, vendors kiosks, food stands and, of course, cherry blossoms!

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Join us for more cherry blossom fun — such as Bike the Blossoms, haiku workshop, cherry walk, Big Sing, and more. Details on our community events page.

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Photos

Cherry Blossom Road

On 6th avenue, if you head towards Slocan you’ll get a view of this beautiful cherry blossom road.

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On top of the hill the canopy of cherry trees is spectacular.

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It’s a short block, but the cherry trees are quite amazing.

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There are large Akebono cherry trees, which means a lot of petals are falling.

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This is the last week to get caught in Akebono snow, so hurry up and check our neighbourhood map to locate cherry trees trees near you.

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Photos

A mix of Accolade and Akebono

On 5th avenue (corner Lilooet), you’ll find two different kinds of trees: Accolade and Akebono cherry trees (notice the different colours on the photo).

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It’s a good location to appreciate the difference between the two cherry trees:

  • Akebono cherry trees are lighter and blossoms have five petals.
  • Accolade cherry trees are darker and blossoms have more than five petals.

When I visited, the Accolade were declining and the Akebono were peaking.

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From the top of the hill, you get an amazing view of the highrises in Burnaby Brentwood area.

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Visit soon to be showered with petals or use our neighbourhood map to find Akebono trees near you.

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Photos

Downtown walk under Akebono blossoms

Akebono cherry trees have reached peak bloom in downtown Vancouver. It’s a lovely time for a walk.

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Want to know more about Vancouver cherry trees? Join our free Cherry Talks and Walks starting this Sunday April 7.