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Photos Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

Yesterday’s news – double blossom ‘Takasago’ and ‘Shirotae’

April 21, 2023. Double blossoms today! Still not the ubiquitous late-season ‘Kanzan’, which are biding their time. It’s hard to beat the beauty of these dark purplish-red ‘Takasago’ buds set against the riot of colour in the double pinky-white blossoms. The densely packed flower clusters suffer from an air circulation problem in our rainy climate, making the trees not all that healthy.

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20230421_Takasago_TalismanDinmont_Eng_7857

But flowers don’t need all that colour to be stunning. Much more common around here are ‘Shirotae’, referring to a kind of white cloth in Japanese. Buds become white before they open. The green leaves often emerge with the flowers. These blossoms are fragrant, smelling of almonds. These are often planted in groups, making the fragrance all the more noticeable.

20230421 DougallPk Shirotae Willard IMG_2922
20230421 DougallPk Shirotae Willard IMG_2922
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Cherry Scouts Photos Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival

Stanley Park Tree Talk and walk

It was a gorgeous day for our Stanley Park Tree Talk and Walk.

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About 35 people attended the tour lead by Bill Stephen (Park Board Superintendent of Urban Forestry) for a history of the park and a closer look at the cherry trees.

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Akebono cherry petals were falling: at the slightest breeze, we were showered with petals. It was magical.

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The Akebono blossoms (nearing the end of season) were totally white, luminescent.

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Cherry Scout Wendy Cutler was wearing her blossom shoes for the occasion.

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Between the rose garden and the pavilion, we stopped to see a small Takasago (hidden by other trees) on a trail.

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Along the way, Bill talked about other types of trees in Stanley Park like the sycamores and Douglas firs.

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The white Shirotae leading to the Japanese memorial were in full bloom.

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At the Japanese memorial, we concluded our walk with the Ojochin cherry tree (also in full bloom). You could see copper leaves coming out.

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Cherry petals are falling fast in Stanley Park (that’s why we had to reschedule the walk for today so people would get a chance to see the blossoms). Visit within the next 2 days to be showered with petals.

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Check out our webpage for regular updates on the upcoming tree talk and walks.