Isn't this a beauty? The earliest of TPP's Magnolias began flowering this 1st week of April. It is partly a genetic thing and partly a location thing. Bought this shrub from a big box as a late season special, and for some reason it was in very good shape. And it has grown well since planting. This is a hybrid Magnolia x loebneri "Henry Messel" (M. stellata x M. kobus). Many turn out to have white flowers like both parents, but this one is quite pink. This hybrid is just over 100 years old having first flowered in 1917. Ours would still be described as a large shrub. TPP also has a M. stellata, which flowers quite early, but its rather shady location holds it back about a week, which is often sufficient to avoid a late frost. This particular year the star magnolia and the anise or willow-leafed magnolia are starting to flower pretty early, but not unusually so. So more magnolias to come especially since TPP is self-quarantined at least for awhile, so might as well garden.
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