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.