This is the first year this Magnolia has bloomed! It was bred by a friend, who gave it to us in 2011, in a little 3″ pot. It spent its first winter buried under a large pile of wood chips. In the spring, I dug it out, only to find that it had become separated from its label, so we’re still not sure of exactly what kind it is. It was planted in its place right here, where it still lives, 7 years ago.
I’ve learned that the stripe might provide a clue as to what cultivar this is.
The curve of the iris bed echoes the shape of the supported red pine. The yellow lantern magnolia now has all its leaves. I left the soft-textured lambs’ ears flowers standing in this area, just for height.
On the other side of the magnolia is a purple smokebush and Scarlet O’Hara andromeda. Dark green rudbeckia foliage contrasts with Rheingold Globe arborvitae, mugo pine and lambs’ ears.
‘Yellow Lantern’ (M. acuminata var. subcordata x M. x soulangeana), in full bloom, looking mighty mysterious at night.
On the left, variegated red-twig dogwood backed by white pine, in turn backed by quaking aspen. In center are yellow leaves of river birch. Moving right, a shrubby green magnolia contrasts with the brilliant red leaves of Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac). Above the sumac in the background, branches of a Princeton elm can be seen reaching toward the blue sky.
A line of red pines had been suffering for a while. Now there’s no question; they are dead. While they await being felled, they happen to pick up on the color of a brilliant purple smokebush. To the left of the smokebush is a gray dogwood in flower; to its left is a Yellow Lantern magnolia. Bearberry, red knockout roses, purple blooms of catmint, yellow flowers of rue and white spikes of lambs’ ears all provide for plenty of contrast in the front yard.
This is the first year this small tree has had so many blooms.
Another photo, for scale. Amazing!