Now In Bloom - Magnolia x 'Elizabeth'

Pink, purple and white deciduous magnolias are blooming all over the city, but none sizzle against a dark spring sky like one of the yellow-blooming varieties. The butter yellow M. x 'Elizabeth', the later blooming 'Yellow Bird' and more finely cut 'Butterflies' are a reminder of how few trees have yellow flowers.

Magnolia x 'Elizabeth' (below) is in full and glorious bloom this week in Seattle; its a cross between M. acuminata and M. denudata discovered at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Its flowers sit upright on the branches like fat, glossy cups, then open wide to show a flush of rich yellow, spidery stamens.The fragrant, silky petals are a visceral contrast to the furry gray buds and bare, spreading branches, which will soon enough be covered with large, soft green leaves. 

Give magnolias regular water and little or no pruning; these iconic Southern beauties are the most brazenly showy of spring-bloomers, yet tough enough to hold their own as urban street trees. 

Comments

[Keri]

Dear Val: I've been reading your writing for years, from the weekly articles in Pacific Northwest to your books. Thus, I was instantly smitten when I came across your blog. The past few weeks I've been eyeball deep in textbooks and online articles studying for my Horticulture classes up at Edmonds CC. I've been looking at soils and pruning and sustainability and... And not taking the time to pull back and look at the PLANTS or the flowers. Inspired by your posts, today I walked out to my tiny garden to see everything that's blooming: hellebores, euphorbia, daffodils, corydalis--and I picked a bouquet to bring inside. Thank you for your continually inspiring words and images and for reminding us to take the long view--while studying the minutiae.

[Jay Chua]

Hi Val,

I just come across your site, and I love your writings & postings.

Me, a garden lover:) I bookmarked your site & will revisit again for more tips.

By the way, love the magnolia's picture.
I'd sunflower at my yard, but I think I will get some magnolia to make my garden more colorful.

Jay Chua
Publisher, PorchSwingSets.com

[Pandora Bracelet]

thanks for your article,like your blog very much,well done