This magnolia season is starting off well. Unlike most years when early spring brings below freezing night temperatures, the early Magnolia stellata cultivars, Little Girl hybrids, and Magnolia denudata have reached their peak undamaged by an early spring frost. Next to bloom will be the saucer magnolias, Magnolia x soulangiana cultivars, and Gresham hybrids. If we are truly lucky, we might have a repeat of Spring 2005… the most beautiful magnolia year since I started at the Scott Arboretum in 1998.
Visit our Magnolia Collection this spring to see if we have another breath-taking season. The Arboretum’s collections of hollies and magnolias have gained recognition as one of the registered collections in the North American Plant Collections Consortium (NAPCC).