Magnolia

A recent walk provided a new discovery. Obviously this magnolia tree has been in situ for many years, but until this spring I had never noticed it. What a revelation! Standing tall and dignified at the edge of a garden it displayed an abundance of magnificent pale amethyst and alabaster flowers.

I’m amazed we haven’t spotted this tree before as we walk often in this park. Perhaps the plentiful rain has meant that it flowered more prolifically than usual. Whatever the reason, it was a special moment to stand in a carpet of petals under its branches and listen to the thousands of bees enjoying its bounty as much as I,

38 Comments Add yours

  1. beautiful photos beautiful tree

    1. Jane says:

      Thank you.😊

  2. I think M. soulangiana? My parents had one and spring was aa success if the flowers survived without frost. Loved seeing it.

    1. Jane says:

      Thank you for identifying. I wasn’t sure. We had one in our previous garden but the frost always turned the flowers brown before we could enjoy them.

      1. Same with my parents, every now and then the flowers would make it and were fabulous.

  3. shoreacres says:

    We have a very early bloomer with flowers the same colors that generally is called a tulip tree. Our more common (and native) southern magnolia has white flowers the size of dinner plates, but the bees love it just as much. This really is a glorious sight, even from this distance.

    1. Jane says:

      I had one of these in my previous garden ( not so very far away from where I am now) but it struggled, so it was a surprise to see this one. It must be in a sheltered enough spot to do was well as it has. The flowers on mine were always bitten by frost and turned brown. I’ve seen pictures of your magnolias and would love to see the dinner plate flowers at first hand!

  4. Heyjude says:

    That is a beauty! I love magnolia trees. Only five months to wait… It’s funny what you suddenly see. I had a similar experience back in the spring noticing a magnificent magnolia tree on my drive to the supermarket that I had never seen before, but like yours must have been pretty old.

    1. Jane says:

      I really can’t believe I’ve never noticed it before, Jude. Perhaps we didn’t walk through that particular park at just the right time. A week later and the blooms had almost disappeared.

      1. Heyjude says:

        True. Timing has to be right.

  5. Barbara Godfrey says:

    What a magnificent Magnolia. It’s always been one of my favourites. How lovely that it’s flowering so well after the extra rain these last few months.

    1. Jane says:

      It was such a nice surprise to see it there, Barb. The next week the flowers were almost all gone.

  6. Kris P says:

    How floriferous! My Magnolia (grandiflora) displays its blooms in much smaller numbers and so far above my head I have difficulty getting a good photos of it even with a telephoto lens. I love the floral color of “your” tree too.

    1. Jane says:

      Floriferous is the word, Kris! We were so delighted to see it and spent quite a bit of time enjoying it in the spring sunshine.

  7. Rosie Amber says:

    Such a pretty tree.

    1. Jane says:

      Thank you, Rosie.🌺

  8. Cathy says:

    That is beautiful. A rare sight here too unless you have a sheltered garden. Thanks for sharing!

    1. Jane says:

      Yes, Cathy, in my previous garden, not very far from where I am now, my magnolia was ruined by frost every year.

  9. smallsunnygarden says:

    What a gorgeous tree and gorgeous photos of it! I agree it looks like M soulangiana or one of the wonderful named varieties or hybrids.
    When I was a child briefly in Chicago they were fairly common and something I learned to look forward to each spring. Further south in Missouri they weren’t as successful because the warmer springs would usually include a sharp cold snap just before they could open.
    It looks like this one has had all the right weather!

    1. Jane says:

      I think it must be quite sheltered from frost where it’s growing as we can certainly have very heavy frosts here. Also, this last winter seemed as though it was milder than usual, (which is what we’re coming to expect) so that would have helped, as well as the height of the tree. That’s my theory, anyway, although conversely, I’m guessing Chicago could be quite cold in early spring too!

      1. smallsunnygarden says:

        Yes, that was what was so curious. Chicago winters were much colder and longer, but when they were over, they were over. Not so much back and forth between freeze and thaw. That was years ago, and I have no idea how it is now with climate change. Anyhow, I think this one you’ve spotted is a particularly lovely one! Hopefully you’ll get to see it flower every year now you’ve discovered it.

  10. I’m pleased you noticed it

    1. Jane says:

      Me too, Derrick!

  11. What a wonderful discovery.

    1. Jane says:

      Indeed, it was a delight.

  12. Bonnie Groves Poppe says:

    I don’t think of Australia as being magnolia country! When I lived in western Oregon there were many — deep rich acid soil and lots of rain. But then I don’t know much about Australia and photos of the outback. I expect not many Magnolias there.
    bonnie in provence

    1. Jane says:

      Hi Bonnie, Australia is such a huge country, anything will grow somewhere or other. Where we are, I think we might have a similar climate to you, depending whereabouts in Provence you are. We have hot summers ( sometimes extremely hot) but cold winters and four definite seasons a year, unlike some parts of the country where there’s only ‘The Wet’ and The Dry’. We don’t have rich soil where I am though, it’s mostly clay with a thin layer of topsoil. I had to add a lot of good soil and compost to make decent garden beds. Gardeners, being ever hopeful folk , always seem to want the challenge of growing something unsuited for their climate – and I’m no exception!

  13. Isn’t it a beauty! It’s funny how you suddenly notice something for the first time and then wonder how it could be that you’ve never seen it before. It must give the garden owners much pleasure.

    1. Jane says:

      If it was in my garden, I think I’d spend a lot of time gazing at it! It will now be a pilgrimage each spring, for me.

  14. annamadeit says:

    They are such glorious trees when they are in full bloom. We have a neighbor on the corner of our block who has a beautiful magnolia that is an absolute showstopper in spring. It’s fantastic! I have a 70′ evergreen magnolia in my front yard, but it blooms continuously from spring through first heavy frost. I love that too, but it’s star power is far more modest that that of the one on the corner.

    1. Jane says:

      It must be wonderful to have a tree flowering for so long right there in your front garden. I’ll be making sure I visit the one I found each spring from now on!

      1. annamadeit says:

        It’s so big, I need binoculars or ladders to see the flowers close-up, but they have a wonderful lemony vanilla fragrance. It’s nice to sit on the stoop and just inhale it!

  15. hb says:

    What a beauty! Surely the generous rain you got over winter(?) made the tree particularly happy to flower.

    1. Jane says:

      Yes, I think the winter rain, plus it’s in a quite a sheltered spot.

  16. That is definitely a magnificent tree!

    1. Jane says:

      Yes, beautiful. Such a pleasure to see it.

  17. I had a HUGE Magnolia in the backyard when I lived in Mississippi. Every spring it put on a display of pink flowers. There was a smaller tree with small white flowers in the front yard plus 3 of the HUGE evergreen Magnolias. They are quite impressive. Thanks for sharing.

    1. Jane says:

      Your magnolia must have been quite a sight, too. The evergreen ones are also stunning.

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