Directions
What better place to start a walk of Kitsilano than at the ‘Welcome to Kitsilano’ sign on the corner of Burrard & Cornwall Ave at the southern end of Burrard Bridge. From here walk west along Cornwall Ave and take the first right, Chestnut St, all the way to the end. On the way you will see a huge range of fantastic trees in Vanier Park to your right and lovely tree-lined residential streets to your left. It’s easy to get side-tracked here and if you want a quick tree hit, we recommend a visit to the two Saucer Magnolia trees that sit either side of the entrance to the MacMillan Space Centre. When you reach the end of Cornwall Ave, take the footpath to your left (above the Maritime Museum). This will lead you to the first featured tree: The beautiful Japanese Zelkova tree!
Japanese Zelkova
Proper Name: Zelkova serrata
Common Name: Japanese Zelkova
Description: This broad, medium sized, deciduous tree has narrow oval leaves with a serrated margin, hence the Latin name ‘serrata’. They start green in spring and change to a lovely orangey-red in the fall.
Defining Feature: As you can see from the picture, this tree has quite a short trunk and a big head. And so it should, it is stunning!