Sweetbay Magnolia

Not far from yesterday’s sawtooth oak in central park stands another diminutive beauty (and this one isn’t even invasive!), the sweetbay magnolia, or Magnolia virginiana.

Magnolia virginiana is more Elinor Dashwood than Marianne -- the two sisters from Jane Austin's Sense and Sensibility. It’s the less outrageous counterpart to Magnolia soulangiana. The white flowers are smaller and they never cast a profusion of blossoms over the entire tree, like the floral frenzy of the saucer magnolia in early spring.

But, while you don’t have a riot of color and perfume when sweetbay magnolia is in season, you do have a slow burn. Sweetbay magnolia sets a steady pace that means it will bloom for months in the summer, as opposed to the ephemeral display of the saucer magnolia. This is demonstrated in the above photo and the following two. Above, you see a flower bud and below, a flower that is just about to open.

In tandem with buds forming and opening, you have fully-open blossoms like the one below. The flowers are creamy-white, similiar to Magnolia stellata, perhaps, but less strappy and flimsy. They are lovely flowers -- and fragrant, too -- but you need to get a bit closer to this plant to appreciate its beauty. Much like Elinor.

Magnolia stellata

This is a fairly perfect specimen of star magnolia, Magnolia stellata, growing in the East Village.

Star magnolia blooms, in general, about 2 weeks or so earlier than saucer magnolia. They are both fabulous spring plants.


Star magnolia, is in that weird category of small tree/large shrub. Too small for a tree, too big for a shrub. I try to sidestep these definitions as often as possible because there is no clear cut answer, though I lean to categorize this as a tree.



Magnolia is one of the oldest genera of flowering plants, indeed Magnoliaphyta is the phylum that includes most angiosperms.


Stellata, as one can guess, means star-like and refers to the somewhat starry, strappy tepals of this flower. Tepals, like bracts, are another evolved versions of plant strucutures that, while not connected to the sexual properties of a flower, are key in attracting the right pollinators and ensuring the plant survives and reproduces.

The Biggest Star Magnolia I've Ever Seen

So, I went to the NYBG's Orchid Show on Saturday, along with what seemed like most of the city. The conservatory was packed to the gills, but the show was lovely and one can't help but be awed by the quantity and variety of orchid species on display.

I'll certainly be posting about those plants in the weeks to come, but this week I'll focus instead on what's happening outdoors.



First up, this specimen, which is undoubtedly the biggest star magnolia (Magnolia stellata) I've ever laid eyes on. Amazing, isn't it? I've posted about Magnolia stellata before and have more than a few posts on the genus Magnolia as well. I don't have much to add today, save that I saw this at the NYBG grounds on the left of the path that leads directly to the conservatory from the cafe building. I was dumbstruck by the size and a little sheepish. I must have walked past this tree dozens of times and never paid much attention to it. Only when I saw it in bloom did I register what it was and how remarkable its size is. Shame on me.



It also made me a liar as far as my current students are concerned. Just last week we were speculating on the lifespan of this species. I guessed that they rarely last more than fifty odd years. However, this seemed to be grouped with some trees that were listed as 75-100 years old, so I would guess this specimen could easily be a septuagenarian!

Saucer Magnolias in Central Park

Saucer Magnolias (Magnolia x soulangiana) are related to some of the oldest angiosperms (flowering plants, as opposed to gymnosperms, or conifers). Some members of the magnolia family are found in fossils that date back to 95 million years ago. Magnolias co-existed with dinosaurs, and survived the extinction event that marked the end of the prehistoric creatures.


Magnolias were the first flowers and were not pollinated by flying insects, but instead by beetles. That's why the seed cones are so rigid and tough (to protect them from the large, chewing bugs). In fact, it was not until after flowers evolved did insects and other pollinators co-evolve to match a food source.


The plant below, the Saucer Magnolia, was not one of these ancient flowers. This is instead a hybrid of M. lilliflora and M. denudata. It's popular for it's large, fragrant flowers that burst open as soon as it gets warm enough.



The magnolias behind the Met in Central Park are the best looking ones I can find in Manhattan, if not the entire city. They sit on this hillside and, with their neighbors, the Crabapples, provide spring color from April until mid to late May. There's nothing quite like going for a run or a bike ride when these are in bloom and catching a whiff of their scent on your way up the hill.

Confused Cherrylaurels

Here's a few shots of Prunus laurocerasus, or cherrylaurel, in Union Square Park.


As you can see, these plants, which typically bloom in the spring, have a fair amount of flowers on it. This phenomena in not unheard-of among spring-blooming plants -- I see
it most often with saucer magnolia (Magnolia x soulangiana). The dreaded Bradford pear (Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford') does this, too.



Plants have, like people and animals, their own circadian rhythms, triggered day-length. I mentioned this before, when discussing redbud (Cercis canadensis).

Sometimes, plants that flower in the spring will mistakenly bloom in the fall. Which, when you think about it, makes perfect sense: The daylengths in October are similar to those in April.

That Big Magnolia, Scaled....Sort of

As soon as I uploaded the photos I took of yesterday's giant star magnolia, I regretted that I hadn't taken a photo of it with a person or some other way to scale it.

Sure enough, within moments of publishing yesterday's post, I got an email asking how big it really was.




With some irreverence, I've attached a picture of the tree with Shaquille O'Neal photoshopped next to it. The Shaq's about 7' 1". I think he's pasted into this photo at about the right size, making this specimen about 45-60' high. No promises on that estimate though!

From the NYBG Orchid Show

If you didn't make it to the NYBG Orchid Show last week, then my apologies. It was a really lovely exhibit with what seemed to be tens of thousands of orchids.



I could spend weeks sharing photos and information about the difference species of orchids on display, but it's spring so I'd rather get on to all that is in bloom. A lot of what's in bloom have been covered before by this blog, such as: Cornus florida, Cherries, Virginia Bluebells, Muscari, Fothergilla and Magnolia soulangiana. But there's a lot that have yet to debut on this site, and I need to get to work.

In the meantime, here's some gorgeous orchids to get you inspired about the garden indoors.

Phalaenopsis

Cattleya (I think!)

Vandas


xDoritaenopsis

Odontocidium

Wilsonara

Finally, I must have had some case of orchid fatigue, because I didn't note what these species were. I loved them ,though - so different from a florist's orchid. If you know the species please write in!

I loved this - the long, thin sepals and mottling color. I just wish I wrote the name down! Alas, next year....