Is this a sport?

Discussion in 'Plants: Science and Cultivation' started by wcutler, Oct 31, 2010.

  1. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Ron B used the word "sport" in a reply yesterday, and I had to look that up. The definition at http://www.botany.com/16.sp.htm says
    Today, I came across this Stanley Park magnolia with leaves on the water shoots almost three times longer than the rest of the leaves.

    Are those "sports", or are they just larger leaves?
     

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  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    The leaves are bigger because they are on more vigorous growth. When younger the specimen will have been liable to have been producing similarly sized leaves every year. Heavily stimulated seedlings of some kinds can remind of the sunflower plant or the empress tree.

    The point where the water sprouting is occurring will be where a live branch was lost. Deciduous magnolias are apt to do this awkward vertical sprout production when pruned or damaged. The most interesting thing about the specimen is what kind of magnolia it might be. If Parks has planting records it might be listed there. Otherwise, it could be compared with labeled specimens in nearby publicly accessible collections at flowering time.

    As it is fairly well along and near a road possibly Dr. Straley mentioned this example in his Vancouver book, or Dr. Justice knows the tree.
     
  3. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    I have my sort by location from the "Trees and Shrubs of Stanley Park" chapter of The Natural History of Stanley Park, Discovery Press, 1988. I think it's area 50 or 53, which shows three options, or maybe it's 55 or 56. So I'll wait, if you can maintain your interest until the spring or summer!

    Unless you think it's a younger tree than what would be listed in that book.
     
  4. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    It looks like a Dawson magnolia. An M. dawsoniana 'Cook's Form' is listed for Area 53* in the document you linked to. Another document mentions an M. dawsoniana 'Barbara Cook' being in the park.

    http://vancouver.ca/parks/info/features/2007/070326_magnoliatour.htm

    Elsewhere it is said to be a hybrid.

    Magnolia ‘Barbara Cook’ is a lovely hybrid of M.dawsoniana and
    M.campbellii and is growing in the Asian Garden. Alleyne Cook,
    that great friend to all gardeners hereabouts, introduced and
    named it after his wife.
    M.‘Barbara Cook’ has flowers that are
    the palest pink on the outside and rosy pink on the inside. The
    buds open upwards and then slowly turn down. Flowers are 9” dia.
    Trees are large and vigorous, probably making 18m to 24m at
    maturity.


    http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/community/2007_Magnolia_Sale.pdf

    The Dave's Garden web site has photographs of the flowers. However, as it appears there may be multiple examples of 'Barbara Cook' present it should be possible to compare twigs, buds and leaves now and get a pretty good idea if the sprouting tree is the same.

    *Not sure I'd want to see what they might have in Area 51
     
  5. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Thanks Ron. I read "late winter, early spring" so have moved my reminder up to the end of February for the flowers, but it sounds like we should be having a late year and I could wait another month.

    OK, twigs, buds and leaves coming soon (well, to be photographed the day before I leave for Hawaii, so maybe not posted for another week or two).
     
  6. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    I can't do magnolias. There are so many magnolias along the outside of the golf course, and I can't even tell which ones look the same. And I can't do geography either. Now I'm pretty sure it's area 22, not the areas I said before. I see that it's after the first path on the north side of the golf course.

    There are two small trees that look the same to me. There are supposed to be three magnolia species in this area: M. dawsoniana (no cultivar given), M. hypoleuca and M. salicifolia. So we're still into dawsoniana, if these are over 12 years old. Here are two more photos from the first tree I posted:
    20101102_StanleyParkArea22_Magnolia_Cutler_P1060157.jpg 20101102_StanleyParkArea22_Magnolia_Cutler_P1060158.jpg
    and from the other tree
    20101102_StanleyParkArea22_Magnolia2_Cutler_P1060194.jpg 20101102_StanleyParkArea22_Magnolia2_Cutler_P1060198.jpg

    I couldn't find the one at UBC today, and wasn't able to get the exact location. I see that a photo of the 'Barbara Cook' flower on flickr was taken in April, 2008 (that was a fairly early year, if I recall correctly), so I'll be back then. At least 'Barbara Cook' have pink flowers - I'll be able to tell if it's that or not. And I should be able to find the one in the Park Board writeup. The magnolia walk runs north-south, so their "slightly east" of that location isn't all that helpful, since there are a lot of magnolias in that area. Maybe not many pink ones though.
     
  7. wcutler

    wcutler Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator VCBF Cherry Scout 10 Years

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    Re: Is this a sport? Now is Magnolia cultivars

    In the area where these trees are, I met Dave, a Parks Board gardener (and an ex-student of Douglas Justice), on May 3. He told me that the two trees that interested Ron in posting #2 are Magnolia × soulangeana 'Galaxy'. Here are buds from April 8, 2011 and flowers from May 3, 2011.
    20110408_WalkingBikePath_MagnoliaGalaxy_Cutler_P1090727.jpg 20110408_WalkingBikePath_MagnoliaGalaxy_Cutler_P1090729.jpg 20110503_StanleyPkBikePath_MagnoliaGalaxy_Cutler_P1110043.jpg
    [Edited]I found some April 19, 2011 photos.
    20110419_StanleyPkBikePath_MagnoliaGalaxy_Cutler_P1100357.jpg 20110419_StanleyPkBikePath_MagnoliaGalaxy_Cutler_P1100359.jpg 20110419_StanleyPkBikePath_MagnoliaGalaxy_Cutler_P1100362.jpg 20110419_StanleyPkBikePath_MagnoliaGalaxy_Cutler_P1100364.jpg

    Ron also mentioned 'Barbara Cook'. Dave pointed out this young one, on which I caught the last two blossoms on April 28, 2011.
    20110428_StanleyPkBikePath_MagnoliaBarbaraCook_Cutler_P1100741.jpg 20110428_StanleyPkBikePath_MagnoliaBarbaraCook_Cutler_P1100744.jpg 20110428_StanleyPkBikePath_MagnoliaBarbaraCook_Cutler_P1100742.jpg

    I think that this tall tree is the one Dave said is also 'Barbara Cook'. I'm a bit confused by the location I gave it in the name. I photographed these on April 8, 2011.
    20110408_MagnoliaPath_MagnoliaBarbaraCook_Cutler_P1090730.jpg 20110408_MagnoliaPath_MagnoliaBarbaraCook_Cutler_P1090731.jpg 20110408_MagnoliaPath_MagnoliaBarbaraCook_Cutler_P1090732.jpg
     
    Last edited: May 20, 2011

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