Star cherry blossoms (“Stellata”) are open near the duck pond at Queen Elizabeth park.
You can recognize Stellata cherry blossoms by the petals that are rolling to form soft points (just like a star!)
Because the petals are rolling in, the blossoms have a triangular shape when viewed from the side. Be careful not to mistake them for Whitcomb or Okame… which both come earlier in the season).
The star cherry is a little bit off the path and there are only two branches blooming, so it would be easy to miss. To find the star cherry, follow these instructions:
- go around the duck pond
- walk past the 4 white Uminko cherry trees
- continue walking until you reach the three small yae-beni-shidare (weeping cherry trees)
- turn left and walk about 20 meters. The star cherry is in the corner, in the shade, next to the path.
If you’ve never seen a stellata, visit this location in the next week.
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To learn more about the star cherry (and 53 other varieties of cherry trees in Vancouver), check out Ornamental Cherries in Vancouver.