Spurred by reading Nathanael Johnson’s Unseen City, I’m taking photos of trees and other plant life around my hood (Olympic Village) and farther if it is really interesting – monkey trees!
Some things are so transient – technology, text messages, some relationships, the kid being a toddler, that television series I’m obsessed about – but there is plantlife and wildlife around us that we are normally oblivious to that follows their cycle year in-year out. It can be relied upon.
Just learning the name of the tree at the time of year it was flowering at my doorstep has increased infinitely my interest in it, considering my notice of it was at zero to begin with. And the kid’s pleasure in seeing the “馬騮樹樹” (monkey tree-tree) near where we often park to go to dine at our usual HKSC on Cambie is totally adorbs.
Later, I will figure out another way to catalogue the images but here it is now. Also upon Johnson’s recommendation, I have downloaded the iNaturalist app and hope to eventually connect with people who can help me with identifications!
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Around Olympic Village / False Creek South
388 West 1st Avenue (also on Crowe Street between 1st and 2nd)
1833 Crowe Street (1st Avenue @ Crowe)
Rhododendron
* flowers in early May
(image is from June when flowers have nearly all fallen)
Southeast corner of Hinge Park (1st Avenue & Columbia Street)
150 West 1st Avenue
* bark peeling off like birch or arbutus
138 West 1st Avenue
108 to 128 West 1st Avenue
Styrax japonica (Japanese snowbell)
* flowers late May/early June
1750 Manitoba Avenue (at 1st Avenue)
Lavandula spica (Lavender)
2nd Avenue (at Crowe)
Lavandula spica (Lavender)
* blooms in mid-June
Elsewhere in Vancouver
455 West 19th Avenue
Araucaria araucana (Monkey puzzle tree)
* Endangered
3313 Kingsway (the whole block between Joyce and Harold)
