Last month, the big-leaf magnolia caught our eye with its large, drooping, creamy white flowers. On par with the American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) for the prize of "biggest flower native to North America," this rare specimen deserves more attention. We currently have three plantings of big-leaf magnolia in the collection, and all three would benefit from some spring-cleaning activities, like pruning and weeding.
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| Two big-leaf magnolias are pictured here. There is a larger one in the center, and a smaller one is leaning on the right side of the frame. The smaller one was planted in 2009, while the larger one was planted a few years prior. Both were badly damaged in August 2020, during the storm winds from Hurricane Laura. In this photo, we see the work to be done: surrounding shrubs and vines are encroaching on the space allotted to the big-leaf magnolias. |
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| We cut back wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera) shrubs to allow more sunlight for the magnolias. Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), and some grape (Vitis sp.) were all pulled from around the base of the skinny trunks. A few stalks of lizard tail (Saururus cernuus) were also snipped to increase signage visibility. |
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| Despite being more than 15-years-old, these are still small trees, and they need help when it comes to competing with their more aggressive neighbors. And since this species isn't particularly robust, we are keeping both trees in the catalogue, rather than cutting down the smaller of the two. We don't want to cut the small tree for a couple of reasons: it doesn't take up much space, and it is our back-up plan or insurance policy if the larger tree dies. A falling widow-maker could easily cause such a fatality. |
