Spring! A different way of looking at magnolias

This is a fairly mature Magnolia ‘Ann’, which is a M stellata x M liliiflora hybrid that flowers enthusiastically in the spring and then reblooms more sparsely through the summer, as shown here:

MagnoliaAnn

Magnolias are relatively easy to propagate via cuttings. I have had about 2 out of 6 cuttings take in a given year, and about one per half dozen then goes on to flourish. So my original ‘Ann’ has given rise to a nice five-year-old that is about hip-high and put on about a dozen flowers this spring, and to this new baby:

BabyAnn (263x350)

Isn’t Baby Ann just too cute? The stem was about half an inch long when the first leaf unfurled this spring. Now the stem is maybe four or five inches long, and as you see the leaves completely dwarf the stem. It will be another year before I move this baby to a permanent home, and a couple more years after that before she flowers, but isn’t she cute right this minute?

It’s amazing how you think you’re really only interested in big displays of flowers, but then find yourself captivated by a new infant that won’t flower for years.

All my hobbies are long-term hobbies. Except cooking. I seldom wait till brownies are all the way cool before I slice ’em.

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