I went to the door one night last week to look at the rain, and to my surprise, our magnolia tree had bloomed! It was a sure sign of spring! By Easter weekend, the magnolia tree will be in full bloom. Absolutely breathtaking! Magnolias are notable for their showy flowers. The gorgeous blossoms on our saucer magnolia tree is a landscape show-stopper!
There are twelve species of magnolia trees and shrubs: anise magnolia (also known as the willow-leaved magnolia), Ashe’s magnolia, bigleaf magnolia, cucumber tree, lily magnolia, kobus magnolia, loebner magnolia, saucer magnolia, southern magnolia, star magnolia, sweetbay magnolia, and the umbrella magnolia. There are all kinds of flower colors and all kinds of leaf textures in this variety.
Our magnolia tree is the saucer magnolia, which blooms in early spring. The bright, large goblet-shaped flowers start to open in early spring, often before the leaves emerge. This tree tends to have multiple stems with low branches. The bark is smooth and gray, while flowers vary in color, from creamy white to pink or purple-pink. I’m so glad that our flowers are purple-pink since pink and purple are my favorite colors. Leaves are elliptic to obovate, tapering to a pointed tip. Seeds form in clusters from late summer to early fall.
This saucer magnolia tree was created by crossing the lily magnolia (Magnolia liliflora) and the Yulan magnolia (Magnolia denudata). It can either be a large shrub with more than one trunk or a small tree. While the blossoms are pink on the outside on the species plant, you will see white if you peek inside.
If you’re searching for a specimen tree or shrub to make a beautiful statement to your yard, look no further than the magnolia tree..
