Vancouver Cherry Blossom FestivalPresented by
This Whitcomb cherry tree at 6543 Union/Kensington was glowing in the sunset (around 5:30pm) today.
There are lots of low branches, which is great for close-ups.
Whitcomb are in full bloom everywhere in the Vancouver area.
Find them now on the VCBF Neighborhood map.
You’ll find over a dozen Autumnalis Rosea cherry trees blooming now on Georgia street. The trees are spread, in groups of two or three, over five blocks (between Willingdon and MacDonald).
Autumnalis Rosea are “winter cherries”. They start blooming in December and last until February-March.
The Autumnalis Rosea blossoms are small and sparse on the branches. Not as spectacular as our spring cherries, but still worth a visit.
With a zoom, you’ll be able to isolate the flowers and get a good close-up.
February is usually the peak blooming period for Autumnalis Rosea, so don’t miss them.
Check the VCBF Neighborhood maps to locate autumnalis rosea in your area.
I walked on Georgia all the way down to MacDonald. When I turned to walk back towards Willingdon, I noticed the moon peaking between cherry branches. (This was taken January 28, 2015. If you hurry, you might be able to take the same shot).
The blossoms are falling on the pavement.
Take a moment to photograph the fallen petals or blossoms at your feet: they make good pictures too!
Autumnalis Rosea photos taken by Jessica Tremblay on January 28, 2015 on Georgia street (five blocks between Willingdon and MacDonals)
Whitcomb cherry trees are blooming in the Vancouver area right now. This tree is in Burnaby North, at Broadway and Cliff.
Whitcomb cherry blossoms have a nice dark pink color that makes them easy to identify, especially since they are the first cherry trees to bloom in Vancouver in the spring (followed closely by Accolade cherry trees).
This Whitcomb tree is full of buds.
To learn to identify cherry trees, it’s a good idea to observe them at different stages of blooming. Here you can see there are more than one flowers coming out of the cherry bud.
This is important to note, since one of the first things you’ll learn as a cherry scout is the difference between cherry trees and plum trees. Plum trees only have one flower coming out of each bud. But more about that later…
Whitcomb cherry trees are worth a visit right now.
Find out where to find Whitcomb cherry trees using our neighborhour maps
Photography tip: At this location, the blossoms are high, except for one low branch, so you’ll need a good zoom on your camera. Also, an electric wire passes over the tree, so make sure you don’t get it in the shot. Go now if you want pictures of cherry buds and freshly opened blossoms. The tree should bloom for another 7-10 days.
Good for hanami picnic? No. The tree is on a private property, on the side of a very busy road.
My favorite cherry viewing spot is Georgia street, between Willingdon and Boundary, in Burnaby. There are two rows of cherry trees extending on seven blocks!
It’s a great place to walk but you should visit soon (within 2-3 days): petals are already falling and covering the sidewalks.
The extra petal on the blossom is how you can tell it’s an Akebono (as opposed to a somei-yoshino) cherry tree.
Today on Broadway street (corner of Cliff), I went to investigate a tree with dark pink blossoms and discovered with pleasure that it was a Whitcomb cherry tree!
The tree is almost fully bloom.
Photographer’s tips: There are no low branches on this tree so make sure you bring a camera with a good zoom. (Warning: presence of poles and wires.) Traffic is heavy on Broadway and there’s no parking. You’ll have to park on the adjacent streets and walk from there.
And don’t forget to look at your feet, too!
Also blooming now in Burnaby North: Two Accolade cherry trees on Halifax, corner of Kensington.
Have you seen the first signs of spring in your neighborhood yet?
Last week, during a bus ride onboard #136, I noticed a bit of pink in a tree on Halifax street (corner of Kensington) in Burnaby. Today was a sunny day so I decided to go investigate (first rule of cherry blossom viewing: if it’s sunny, you HAVE to go out and take pictures!).
At first, the tree didn’t look like much:
But as I got closer, I noticed the pink blossoms here and there:
There were lots of buds on this Accolade cherry tree and the blossoms were blooming earlier than usual:
I was there at around 12.30pm. The sun was high and it was perfect to take some close-ups.
All the pictures on this post were taken today at 12.30pm on Halifax street, corner Kensington, in Burnaby.
Check out the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival interactive map to find cherry blossoms in your area and see what’s blooming now.