Saturday, 25 April 2009
Flowering Trees at Willowwood Arboretum
It has been a terrific spring with steady cool weather, no sudden cold snaps to turn the larger flowering magnolias into crumpled brown trash. But now the weather has taken a turn into summer, August-in-April style. So this morning is now or never to visit Willowwood Arboretum before the petals all fall down from the flowering cherries and magnolias. Convenient, too, as this afternoon I'm volunteering at the plant sale co-sponsored by the Leonard J. Buck Garden and Watnong Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society. And Willowwood and Buck Gardens are only 15 or 20 minutes apart.
Clear blue skies, every now and then a breeze, and an arboretum full of flowering trees. Doesn't get much better than this.
Pyrus communis, common pear, is a beautiful upright tree with delicious fruit.
Pears must be harvested under-ripe, or they develop gritty stone cells at their core.
This tree, 'Shaka No Hisui', is an upright cultivar of Prunus subhirtella.
Higan cherry is more commonly seen in gardens as a weeping tree.
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Prunus ×blireiana is a small flowering plum with deep pink flowers.
An attractive ornamental tree of modest size that bears little or no fruit.
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It is easy to see how Magnolia ×soulangeana got the common name of
saucer magnolia. Its parents, M. denudata and M. liliiflora are Asian species.
Plant where it will not be encouraged into early bloom, as flowers are very tender
to frost. Rich organic soil, evenly moist but not soggy suits it best. Dramatic tree.
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Magnolia ×soulangeana 'Lennei' is a cultivar that was introduced
in Europe in 1853. Noted for its large, fragrant, goblet-shaped flowers
deep purple outside, white inside for a striking contrast of color.
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Magnolia ×soulangeana 'Alba Superba' has pure white, very fragrant flowers.
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Magnolia denudata, (also known as M. heptapeta), Yulan magnolia, is native to
central and eastern China, where it has been cultivated in Buddhist temple gardens
for many centuries, its pure white flowers regarded as a symbol of purity.
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I'm not sure who this is. My notes say Magnolia salicifolia. That species has but
6 petals. Clearly this has more. Doesn't look quite right for M. stellata though.
Besides, star magnolias flower earlier, ahead of the saucer magnolias.
I'll just have to make a note in my calendar and return next Spring.
Back to April 2009