Such a Lovely Southern Belle

Magnolia stellata. Lovely star magnolia. What would we do without your spring floral splendor? Although the zone 5 appearance was fleeting this year, the blossoms are always a joy to behold. The fragrance, delicious. 

Magnolia stellata - morning of bloom

This is becoming such an unusual year that I, somewhat religiously, take my coffee for a walk in the morning, rain or shine, to see what Momma Nature has given and taken away overnight. The other morning, as my coffee and I were enjoying our morning stroll, I was quite pleased to notice that my five-year old Magnolia stellata was sporting four open blossoms. The rest - about 40 or so - were still tight. It was truly an early spring, comfortably enjoyable “ahh” moment.  Drank both it and my coffee in – then wandered to the neighbor’s place to help burn 20 acres of prairie. What a glorious start to the day, a bit of beauty and a bit of fire. Imagine my surprise when I got back – every one of the mag blossoms was out and in full glory. And like almost every other flowering plant so far this year, finished way too quickly. Unbelievable how early and fast the blooms burst, about 6 weeks ahead of the norm and only lasted a few days. Me thinks that this will make for a rather bland mid-summer bloom show. Better start thinking about which annuals to get...

Magnolia stellata, when hardy for the zone to be grown in, are quite an easy and satisfying landscape buddy. They really don’t require much from the human sector other than consistent structural training, a decent setting, and a bit of appreciation. The pruning needed is pretty basic, if you start training early on. Once it develops good structure and branching habits – only a light pruning is needed every year or two. Prune (as with many early spring flowering plants) right after blooming. Don’t wait too long or you’ll be removing next year’s flower buds. Siting magnolias requires a bit of protection this far north. Too much sun, and heat, increases the risk of the buds and/or flowers developing too early in the season. If that happens, our late spring cold zaps will wreak havoc on the buds and flowers - which are not extremely cold tolerant. The buds, if zapped, will fail to develop properly while the flowers will go from vibrantly beautiful petals to brown and gooey in short order. Will that matter in the long run? Not if it only happens once in a while. Magnolia stellata is tough enough for the overall health to rebound fantastically. But let’s be honest – we do grow it for the flowers. Any loss means waiting an entire year for the next show. 

What constitutes good siting? Full sun is best for maximum flowering. But do avoid unprotected, full exposure southern sites to minimize the afore-mentioned damage resulting from that early season warming followed by cold temps and cold, wicked winds. Partial shade does not seem to greatly affect the flowering. All recommendations are for slightly acidic, moist soils - which we don't generally have. And although I have not noticed a fast, dramatic decrease in health and vigor when sited in our higher pH soils, periodic applications of some lovely peat or compost appear beneficial. When in a consistently dry site, growth slows to a virtual standstill. Adequate soil moisture is essential for good growth – be kind with the hose when Magnolia stellata are young. Deep, infrequent watering to the equivalent of 2" rainfall per week is best for young trees, equivalent of 1" rainfall per week for mature trees.

Verticillium wilt and scale are the most common Magnolia problems in zone 5. Verticillium is commonly found in the soils just about everywhere in this area. Be aware of the potential for problems and you won't be shocked if it infects your tree. Disappointed maybe. Symptoms typically appear mid-July or so. Should that stop you from giving them a whirl – nah. It’s certainly not enough to make me stop planting Magnolia stellata. Does Verticillium have the potential to take them out? It can. Or it can just knock them around a bit. Severity varies, but it doesn't go away. If severely infected, you may end up removing the tree as it tends to look rather ragged, fairly quickly. 

Scale is an interesting issue on Magnolias. Seems to run to extremes. Either you have a big problem or you don’t. Often, the horrible end of the infestation spectrum can be attributed to some additional pressures on the tree – winter lighting and/or intense insecticide use. Normally we only have one generation per year this far north. Warmer environmental temps and additional heat and light from non-LED winter lighting may encourage the development of an extra generation per year. As one would expect, more unchecked critters does mean more potential damage. Insecticide use can throw the predator/prey system dramatically off balance as insecticides are made to kill all insects within a targeted spectrum. There is no judgment built into the products. Both problematic and beneficial will be affected. When beneficial insects that prey on scale are reduced, the ability to naturally keep the scale numbers (and damage) in check will also be reduced. This instance is no different than many others - a thoughtful and judicious approach is always a good idea. And controlling scale requires thoughtful, close attention to life cycle stages, appropriate product choices, and responsible application. If an infestation is heavy, expect to spend a few years getting it back under control. Patience and persistence will win the day.

Heptacodium miconioides

One of the first questions I get asked about the ease and beauty of this tree is: How invasive is it? We do associate ease of growth with invasive qualities, often with good reason. But Heptacodium miconioides has not proven to be a problem for any of my planting sites. I love the common name - Seven-son Flower which, more often than not, refers to the structure of the flower. In researching the area of origin (an eastern province of China) there reigned a King with seven powerful sons... such delicious coincidences make life so much more interesting. Today we find that Heptacodium m. is very rarely found growing in the wild. Thank goodness our western gardens were introduced to this lovely plant twice - first in the early 1900's (didn't register with gardeners at this time, for some reason) and again in the 1980's. Both times, the introduction was a result of plant hunting expeditions to China. To come upon this in the wild - what a site it must have been!

Even though it's a late summer/early fall bloomer, it proves interesting throughout the year. Right now, the bark is absolutely beautiful. Almost every branch, from early growth on, has an interesting exfoliating habit. But what I find so engrossing about said bark is that as it ages, the tissue under the exfoliation develops a broad color range. It can sport vertical striations of green, bluish-gray, tan and/or creamy white. Such a pre-spring treat.

Heptacodium miconioides - late winter bark

The habit is relatively vase-shaped, often with sprouting suckers closely arranged around the main trunk(s). The most commonly seen Heptacodium miconioides grooming results in trunks that remain clear and exposed. Hence, the suckers are cleared regularly. May not be a bad idea to encourage a few of the heartier to remain as potential re-populators down the line. 

Conditions for optimal growth and development? Reports say Heptacodium miconioides require full sun and moist, well-drained soils on the acidic side. As a true line pusher, I have planted them in a variety of sites, but, generally the soils have been the alkaline end of the spectrum. And so far, no pH related health issues. The well-drained soils seems to be the best fit. When I have tried Heptacodium m. in a wetter site, root rot attacked. Not so sure about the necessity of full sun though, I've had pretty good success with partial shade siting. Given reports on performance from other parts of the world, I suspect that partial shade siting would be even more successful the further south you roam.

Even in our cold(er) zone 5 climate, expect an early leafing. Generally by mid- to end April the leaves will be tender, but definitely fully expanded. This will be followed, almost immediately, by a couple of days brutally hot, wicked wind - which will rip and scorch the leaves. Not to worry though, it will come back to full glory within a month or so. And my goodness. What big leaves those are! Elongated to about 7" - 8", medium green in color with nicely prominent veins throughout the growing season. Don't expect a powerful leaf show in the fall. Do expect nonstop textural interest.

Heptacodium miconioides - in flower

The habit and leaves are great but I have to admit, I'm a softy for the blooms. Arriving in early fall (zone 5), the flower and fruit are a boon the late season landscape. For us westerners, the common name (Seven-son Flower) comes from the flower structure. The flower heads are comprised of wonderfully fragrant whorls with seven small flowers in each little whorl. Small in size but so large in fragrance - a heady scent reminiscent of jasmine. Not a common outdoor fragrance this far north, to be sure. After the flowers have passed, what follows are beautiful, showy, reddish-maroon fuzzy fruits. I have not tried eating these tiny wonders, mainly because I've not found anything that promotes them as edible for humans. Hmm. More research on that topic needed.

No horrible insect or disease issues have surfaced thus far, although limited longevity has been discussed. I'll keep watch on that. Periodically I see reports of odd cankers and blights but the only concerning health issue I've experienced is root rot. Lab tested, no guess work. Treatment in this instance was definitely experimental - I decided to just move the plant. And it was a wicked mean, early summer transplant. Came back immediately, and within two years was back to the pre-rot size. Seriously - no chemicals used. Barely got watered. Just dug it up and moved it. Yeah, I know. Too easy.

When you're out doing some plant shopping this spring, if you see Heptacodium miconioides, buy one. Or two. Or three. And don't be put off by the rather unattractive container appearance, they look much better, and respond very nicely, once in the ground. Easy, easy, easy. And beautiful.

Buds-a-Poppin'

Corylus colurna (Turkish filbert) leaf buds - are they ever plumping nicely! I so look forward to watching leaves unfurl all throughout the spring. As I wait and watch, watch and wait, I’ll be slowly wandering around, head craned up towards the tree tops. Only once in a while will I lose track of the feet and run into something, but the rewards are worth it. Oh, that first glimpse of leaves busting loose, such a small but significant confirmation of rebirth and renewal. 

Corylus colurna - spring buds

It's not just the buds that are wonderful. Corylus colurna is definitely a completely yard-worthy tree. Tough and adaptable once established - will become one of your landscape favorites, mainly because it demands very little work to keep it happy. Disease and insect problems are minimal. I have observed barkminer activity, but the end result was cosmetic damage at worst. Unfortunately, Japanese beetles will feed a bit on the leaves but fortunately, not to the point of detrimental defoliation. Full sun is definitely preferred. In my experience with siting this particular filbert, shade negatively impacts the fullness of branch and habit development. And although quite tolerant to drought conditions, water equal to a rainfall of 1” – 2” per week should be provided for the first few growing seasons. After that – don’t worry, it can do fine without human intervention.

I love the great natural form of this nut producer. Over time it develops a low branching, distinctly pyramid shape. C. colurna is not a tree for the smaller yard as the height will reach up to about 50’ during your lifetime. Expect to see almost twice that if you live long enough. (Allow space for at least a 30’ spread.) Before the leaves pop open in spring, pretty little dangling catkins will develop during the late winter – sometime in February or March. When they emerge, the darkish green leaves are like all in this genus, quite toothy around the edges, fuzzy on the underside, and with very prominent veins. If you spend a lot of time waiting around for gorgeous fall leaf color, it will not prove to be a very satisfying endeavor with this tree. Expect, at best, a nice yellow that blends well into the fall background. The bark is interestingly textured with some give to it when pressed. Although it takes a number of years for most nut trees to bear productively, this Corylus is worth waiting for – C. colurna is often cited for large and high quality nuts, and generous crop size. If you’re worried about a nutty mess on the yard – don’t. In my experience, beating the squirrels (and other greedy rodent-types) to the crop has been crucial to seeing any crop, anywhere at all.

Blooms of Late Winter

What a glorious day it is! The sun is shining and the wind is blowing but with temperatures reaching the mid-50’s before the day is done by half – a good one by our northern standards. 

Much to the surprise of those lacking indoctrination into the wonders of the northern 4/5 regions, there is always something of interest happening in the garden. But I must admit that this gardener can only enjoy the intricacies of bark and branches for so long before longing for some pretty flowery stuff. And honestly, as much as I love the north, we are hard pressed to have much flowering in late February and early March. So when the blooms of this witchhazel - Hamamelis vernalis ‘Purple Ribbons’ – put on such a beautiful show last week, I was glad to be privy to the sight. 

Hamamelis vernalis 'Purple Ribbons' (available from www.songsparrow.com)

If you have not tried any of the witchhazels, Hamamelis vernalis is a wonderfully tough species for our northern area. They are easy to grow, relatively problem free (just a few minor annoyances here and there), and quite adaptable to our generally higher pH soils. Even though the gray coloring and twisted character of the stems is quite stunning, I do love the blooms. Given the many cultivars offering a wide range of bloom colors, that ‘Purple Ribbons’ stands out is quite a statement. And though the purple, ribbon-like petals look delicate, they’re not - and will hold on through a few weeks of late winter weather. If you have a bit of patience left, waiting for spring emergence will reward you with large, medium green leaves exhibiting beautifully distinct veins and wavy edges. Fall color on witchhazels present quite a show and this lovely cultivar is no exception - expect a scrumptious yellowish-orange. If you have a spot with anything from full sun to partial shade, Hamamelis vernalis ‘Purple Ribbons’ is worth a go. Give it a bit of room though as it grows to about 10’ high and spreads to 10’ wide.