Species: Magnolia grandiflora. I love magnolias and while I'm learning from others about them, I'm far from being an expert, but I can tell you this "baby" here is newsworthy!I had no idea magnolias of this cultivar bloom in autumn. The large buds, wrapped in a brown sheath are almost as long as the waxy leaves. Let's hope those squirrels don't cheat me of the fully bloomed white saucer or tulip-shaped blossoms. They seem to be in the attack mode these days even if they have plenty of acorns to stash away. Greedy little creatures, stick to your messy seeds! You have certainly buried enough so now we have baby oak trees sprouting all over. Shooo!
There were about 6 to 8 buds when I last looked, which isn't bad for its first year and I hope Raly will make it back from Israel in time to see this baby tree in bloom. She gave me this 3-foot tree in July which in turn I planted in the condominium courtyard for everyone to enjoy.
Where its at, the magnolia gets its full dose of the sun, rich soil and plenty of water. While we have our irrigation system, this sucker can really drink, so I've trained Andrew our security guard to keep an eye on the tree. Ferrying water to keep this plant happy may not be part of his job, but he sure has gotten the hang of it. Why him and not the gardener? I figured he does foot patrol and walks around the tree area quite often, it's just convenient.
It's fulfilling to be able to spread the gardening bug around. Two to three years from now this magnolia tree will be the center of attraction here when it has grown a wide canopy and in full bloom! You bet I'll be around to share those snapshots.
