That title is a direct quote from Douglas Justice's March 2018 in the Garden | UBC Botanical Garden blog, devoted to Magnolia sprengeri. In this case, it was the description of the appearance of the open tepals of the cultivar 'Eric Savill'. It's a bit early yet to see the trees in their full glory, but it's a good time to see the horizontal buds, which are an identifying feature of the species. I saw some 'Caerhays Belle' magnolias in the West End today, didn't remember that M. sprengeri was one of the parents but decided it had to be the case (it is). Anyway, here is the taller tree by the parking lot, with what we decided look just like "melting raspberry-ripple ice-cream" tepals. And the tree by the Ting at the end of the boardwalk, with lots of horizontal buds.
Here is another magnolia coming into bloom, very visible from 16th Avenue - I think it's Magnolia zenii. Magnolia laevifolia is not at all in bloom, but the rust-coloured buds, visible from the boardwalk, are very striking.
Nadia's comment related to a magnolia she posted for ID at Identification: - Evergreen magnolia?, where M. laevifolia was a suggested ID. For the record, this one did not come into bloom until the first week in May. As long as I'm commenting, I'll add a photo here.
