Starry, Starry Days

The spring beauty of star magnolia flies in the face of epidemics and uncertainty.  They are the first magnolias to open their petals as the air warms up, offering up cascades of “stars”–actually showy flowers composed of multiple slender petals.  Most often those petals are white, but occasionally you will see a pink-flowered specimen.  All … Read more

Cucumber Magnolia

Several weeks ago, as I was prepping for a local shade tree tour, one of the tour organizers sent me a picture of a “mystery tree” that was growing on private property on our chosen route.  The picture showed little, except very large green leaves.  I thought the tree might be some kind of catalpa, … Read more