These Magnolia macrophylla photos are from two different trees. The first is in 4C10 - I think that's still the Carolinian forest, but if not, it's down that way. The other is nearby but possibly a different location code - I didn't find the sign. I'd love to know when the flower will be open on this. The Magnolia virginiana shrub is also in the Carolinian forest.
Both the magnolias I posted in this thread two years ago are in bloom right now. The M. virginiana looks just like the picture from back then, but I finally got to see the M. macrophylla looking its photogenic best here.
The fairly large big-leaf magnolia north of the 76 station near the main (south) Marysville, WA I-5 exit had a lot of flowers visible from the freeway the other day. The probably once quite charming old property has other trees also, but is now right next to a mostly paved commercial corridor. Seattle plantings, of course have produced specimens approaching 60 ft. tall (see Jacobson, Trees of Seattle - Second Edition, 2006). I saw wild Magnolia virginiana blooming near Orlando in April. At that latitude they were rather scarce, small and spindly, with only a few flowers open.
Thanks, Ron. I've passed that on to someone who will be driving south in two weeks. I can't find anything that says how long the blooming period is.
Would ordinarily still be in bloom into next month, as mentioned on pages 228 and 422 of Trees of Seattle - Second Edition.
I really can't beat my Magnolia macrophylla photos from 2014 in this thread, but I was very excited to see so many huge flowers on the M. macrophylla at the southern edge of the Carolinian garden, 4C04. I noticed them when I was looking at the Cornus kousa at the edge of the Garry Oak meadow.
