Home - Cherry Tree Species - Yoshino Cherry (Somei Yoshino)

The Yoshino Cherry is by far the most numerous type of single flowered (blossoms of 5 petals) Japanese cherry trees in Vancouver. Depending on the location and the year, they open in late March and early April and peak about one week later. The Yoshino Cherry is probably the most popular cherry tree in Japan, and the tree most readily associated with with hanami (cherry blossom viewing) and cherry blossoms in general by many Japanese.

Scientific Name: Prunus x yedonesis

Blossoms: 5 petals, light pink to white

Usual flowering time: end March to April

Number of trees: very many trees in Vancouver

Some Locations:

  • UBC Lower Mall & Nitobe Garden
  • Queen Elizabeth Park West Entrance
  • Stanley Park Rose Garden
  • Burrard Skytrain Station
  • Kitsilano Beach Park
  • Devonian Harbour Park
  • UBC Bookstore
  • Sutcliffe Park (False Creek Community Centre)
  • Vancouver Museum
  • Median of Cambie Street; between 37th and 41st Avenue
  • Manitoba Street; between 39th and 43rd Avenue

Current State of Yoshino Blossoms as of June 2, 2002 :
Location
State
Expected full bloom
Comments
citywide
end of season
n/a  
UBC
end of season
n/a  
Nitobe Garden
end of season
n/a  
Downtown
end of season
n/a  
Burrard Skytrain Station
end of season
n/a  
Kitsilano
end of season
n/a  
Kitsilano Beach
end of season
n/a/  
False Creek
end of season
n/a  
Red Buildings
end of season
n/a  
Vancouver Museum
end of season
n/a  
Queen Elizabeth Park
end of season
n/a  
Devonian Harbour Park
end of season
n/a  
Stanley Park Rose Garden
end of season
n/a  
Lost Lagoon
end of season
n/a  
Burnaby Mountain
end of season
n/a  

Pictures of the 2002 season:

Stanley Park - Georgia Street at Lost Lagoon
7 April 2002

A group of large Yoshino trees next to Georgia Street has started to flower.

Stanley Park - Rose Garden
7 April 2002

Some trees have opened their first blossoms. But at least one more week is needed until the Yoshino trees reach full bloom.

Queen Elizabeth Park - West Entrance
7 April 2002

The most prominent and popular Yoshino (or Oyamazakura?) tree at the Q.E. West entrance has started to open its blossoms. Full bloom will be reached by next weekend. On the other hand, the Yoshino trees just next to this large tree have not yet started to open their blossoms.

Queen Elizabeth Park - West Entrance
7 April 2002

The most prominent and popular Yoshino (or Oyamazakura?) tree at the Q.E. West entrance has started to open its blossoms. Full bloom will be reached by next weekend. On the other hand, the Yoshino trees just next to this large tree have not yet started to open their blossoms.

Downtown - Yale Town
7 April 2002

A row of opening Yoshino trees along False Creek in Yale Town.

Devonian Harbour Park
7 April 2002

The young Yoshino trees at Devonian Harbour Park (just next to Stanley Park along Georgia Street) are now about to start to open their blossoms.

UBC - Lower Mall at Nitobe Garden
7 April 2002

Full bloom in this beautiful "Yoshino Street" is just about two days away.

UBC - Lower Mall at Nitobe Garden
7 April 2002

Full bloom in this beautiful "Yoshino Street" is just about two days away.

UBC - Lower Mall at Nitobe Garden
7 April 2002

Full bloom in this beautiful "Yoshino Street" is just about two days away.

UBC - Lower Mall at Nitobe Garden
7 April 2002

Full bloom in this beautiful "Yoshino Street" is just about two days away.

UBC - Lower Mall at Nitobe Garden
7 April 2002

Full bloom in this beautiful "Yoshino Street" is just about two days away.

Downtown - Alberni Street between Burrard and Thurlow Street
7 April 2002

The Yoshino trees in front of the Japanese omiyage stores have reached full bloom.

Downtown - Alberni Street between Burrard and Thurlow Street
7 April 2002

The Yoshino trees in front of the Japanese omiyage stores have reached full bloom.

Downtown - Burrard Skytrain Station
7 April 2002

The Yoshino trees around Burrad Skytrain Station are approaching full bloom.

Downtown - Burrard Skytrain Station
7 April 2002

The Yoshino trees around Burrad Skytrain Station are approaching full bloom.

UBC - Mathematics Building
5 April 2002

A small Yoshino Cherry in front of the Math Building.

UBC - Nitobe Garden
5 April 2002

The large Yoshino Cherry in Nitobe Garden has already reached full bloom!

UBC - Nitobe Garden
5 April 2002

The large Yoshino Cherry in Nitobe Garden has already reached full bloom!

UBC - Bus Loop
5 April 2002

The Yoshino trees in front of the UBC Bookstore have started to open their blossoms.

Kitsilano - Small Park at Creekside Drive
5 April 2002

This small park is located close to Granville Island at the marina between Burrard and Granville Bridge. It features about a dozen young Yoshino trees that are now starting to open their blossoms.

Kitsilano Beach Park
5 April 2002

This large tree next to the tennis courts at Kitsilano Beach has already reached full bloom. We believe it to be a Yoshino tree even though the other Yoshino trees in Kitsilano Beach park (at Yew Street and Cornwall Avenue) are about one week behind the schedule of this tree and are only just starting to open their blossoms.

Queen Elizabeth Park - West Entrance
3 April 2002

The blossoms of the most prominent tree which is either a Yoshino or Oyamazakura are about to open.

Downtown- Georgia and Bute Street
28 March 2002

At the SW corner of Georgia and Bute Street stand some of the earliest blooming Somei Yoshino trees that I am aware of. About 10 percent of the blossoms are already open. The picture on the left shows some of them.

Downtown - Alberni Street between Burrard and Thurlow Street
28 March 2002

This is the location of another few early blooming Somei Yoshino trees. About 1-2 percent of the blossoms are open by now.