One of my favorite trees is the Magnolia. I was excited about living in the south because the Magnolias are so pretty here. So a couple of years ago we ordered a Magnolia and planted it. It has done well, the only problem has been that what I ordered was a Japanese Magnolia, Magnolia Lilliflora. This type of Magnolia is much smaller than our Southern Magnolia only growing to about 4 feet. Our Magnolia the Grandiflora may grow up to 40 feet tall and they are an evergreen. The Japanese Magnolia is not, that was my first clue that I had ordered the wrong tree. At first I was afraid that it had died, but we discovered that it was very much alive, but that it was deciduous and so it had lost its leaves. It flowers beautifully but it's not what I wanted so I'll be ordering another tree this fall.
In the mean time we noticed in the vacant lot next to us a beautiful Magnolia Virginiana, better known as a Swamp Magnolia or Sweet Bay. I don't know if this is the first time it has flowered or if we just hadn't noticed before. It is about 40 feet high and they grow up to 60 feet. If it weren't so big I'd have Mac dig it up for me, we know the owners and they wouldn't mind, but it's way too big. Mac did cut one of the flowers for me, it was nearly a foot across, unfortunately it turned brown in less than a day.
This is my Japanese Magnolia, pretty, but different.
So I'll enjoy my little Magnolia and get me a big one!
I just posted photos of the blooms on our magnolia tree. We're told that this is the northern extent of the tree's range.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely a novelty to me and one that I'm enjoying.
I had previously thought of magnolias as a southern shrub.
Magnolias are beautiful aren't they? I have magnolia soulangeana which both looks and smells wonderful every spring.
ReplyDeleteLove the magnolia tree! Don't have one, but wish I did. Glad you share yours.
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