Before last year’s leaves have fallen from the young European beech trees on my street, before the Gunnera manicata, Brazilian giant-rhubarb, has completely unfolded even one of its new prickly leaves, and before the Kanzan cherry trees have burst into their long-lasting shocking pink garb, other ornamental cherry tree species and cultivars are already in full bloom. ‘Somei-yoshino’ and ‘Akebono’ are cultivars of Prunus × yedoensis. ‘Akebono’ is the offspring of ‘Somei-yoshino’, its blossoms last longer, and it is planted more frequently: there are 2,400 ‘Akebono’ cherry trees on Vancouver’s residential streets alone; that does not count the ones in our parks, our parking lots, our campuses, and our front and backyards. 
- unidentified cultivar, but probably Prunus 'Umineko'
- Prunus subhirtella var. pendula ‘Yae-beni-shidare’
- Prunus × yedoensis 'Somei-yoshino'
- and 5. Prunus × yedoensis 'Akebono', different trees
A row of ‘Snow Goose’, a Dutch hybrid of the Fuji cherry (P. incisa) crossed with P. serrulata var. spontanea, is in bloom between Ceperley Meadow and the Pitch & Putt in Stanley Park. The single blossoms of P. sargentii ‘Rancho’ brighten Davie Street with pink. These are upright trees. By contrast, three young weeping Yae-beni-shidare cherries have been planted on the northwest wall of St. Paul’s Church at Jervis Street and Pendrell Street in the West End. The pink tutu blossoms are captivating on this species—P. subhirtella var. pendula ‘Yae-beni-shidare’, Japanese for “double-red-weeping cherry.” Already charming, these will be festival favourites in years to come.
The festival is the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, which opened with The Big Picnic in David Lam Park on April 1, 2023; it ends on April 23. The website, https://vcbf.ca/, hosts neighbourhood maps and cultivar pronunciations, lists events, and tells of cherry tree history in Vancouver. I happen to know training will be offered for those who would like to lead cherry blossom walks in their ’hood next year. There will be plenty of time to get familiar with what’s growing in your locale. Let me know if you’re interested.
And there’s much more in bloom now it’s nearing the end of April.
Many magnolia species are flowering in bold magentas, blushing pinks, and winsome whites. 
Five different magnolia blossoms on five different trees. It requires a magnolia expert to identify these blossoms. Not me. Are there any magnolia experts out there?
An array of camellias and magnolias brightens up our back alley every late March and early April with a burst of colour.
One of these trees is Magnolia stellata, star magnolia, easy to recognize.
Camellia japonica, Japanese camellias, have been blooming since last fall. A range of different cultivars of camellia continues to bloom, now inviting hummingbirds to their brightly coloured nectar banquet. Apparently, hummingbirds come north in time to partake of the nectar in the pink flowers of Rubus parviflorus, thimbleberry. This native shrub is just starting its blossom stage; so is Sambucus racemosa, red elderberry.
Trusses of rhododendron species and cultivars are always spectacular in their many colours.These broadleaf evergreens love acidic soil, so protect their root base with organic matter and add organic fertilizer for its sulfur component.
In a gentler way, genera of more wind-pollinated trees are also flowering. Maples, for instance.
1) Acer capillipes, Red Snake-bark Maple
2) Acer platanoides, Norway maple
3) Acer rubrum 'Bowhall', Bowhall red maple 4) Acer rubrum, red maple
Another dioecious genus, Cercidiphyllum japonicum, katsura, is also blooming. This year I managed to get photographs of both male flowers (on one tree) and female flowers (on another tree).
- male flower of stamens
- last year's empty seed pods on the left and this year's female flowers on the right
Willows are growing their catkins: males on one tree boasting yellow pollen; females on another.
It turns out the small tree with yellow buds that I couldn’t identify in my February article is Cornus mas, cornelian cherry dogwood, the first of the dogwoods to bloom. As suspected. Its small wind-pollinated, yellow flowers are currently either in full bloom (on some trees) or completing their flowering season (on others).
Tiny white flowers of Stachyurus praecox, early stachyurus, are falling one by one from their strings of inflorescences, before moving on to fruiting. The family, Stachyuraceae, is native to the Himalayas and eastern Asia. One such tree-like shrub has been planted beside a path from Park Lane to Lost Lagoon. Three more grow in VanDusen Botanical Garden and there are others elsewhere.
Some shrubs that were only in bud in previous months are now quite lovely: Pieris japonica, with the common names of Japanese pieris, Japanese andromeda, or lily-of-the-valley shrub. Some have young leaves that are pink, older green leaves, and drooping clusters of white flowers. Very colourful. A tree sparrow flitted from branch to branch on the one I was admiring. This plant also does well in a pot on the deck or the patio.
Flowers on some vines caught my eye. Clematis armandii, evergreen clematis, has very showy white flowers. What look to be large flowers are comprised of a small, botanically perfect flower surrounded by a halo of white sepals—between four and seven sepals apiece. This vine is growing over an apartment sign. I’ve also seen it over a fence and blooming its way along a wall. It would do well on a trellis too.
Another vine, which was acting as a hedge, had tiny dark burgundy-coloured unisexual flowers blooming near each other. I learned it is Akebia quinata, five-leaf akebia. The flowers were so small, I barely noticed them, but apparently the flies that pollinate this genus see the chocolate-coloured sepals. The plant smells good too! In the fall, seed production from the fruits of this species is prolific, with up to 200 seeds in each edible berry-like fruit. This is a quick-growing plant that benefits from annual pruning.
Another hedge, quite a tall evergreen one, comprised alternating plants of pink and red camellias.Its ankles are showing, but the many blossoms lifted my eyes up.
In the coniferous evergreen world, somewhere, the pollen cones on Pseudotsuga menziesii, Douglas-fir, will be out, though I haven’t seen them this year yet. The tree that was covered with pollen cones last year bears only last year’s seed cones. However, I have seen many hedges and small trees of Taxus baccata, English yew, with many small yellow pollen cones. 
Finally, what is blooming near my feet? Flower beds half full of Euphorbia characias, Mediterranean spurge, create a lime-coloured contrast with purple-flowered Erica carnea. Don’t forget that Euphorbia characias is highly toxic if ingested and also irritating to your hands. WARNING: Wear gloves when gardening.
Skimmia japonica, Japanese skimmia, is everywhere. Plant the female plant for her berries and flowers, though the male plant’s white flowers are pretty too. And finally we can enjoy Bergenia cordifolia, the evergreen pigsqueak;
it is just starting to bloom.
Text and Photographs by Nina S., Vancouver Master Gardeners