Native Magnolia

Ever take photographs for your blog and then forget all about them?  That's what I did recently with pictures of our Mountain Magnolia.   These were actually from May but I think they are well worth the view.

Mountain magnolia (magnolia fraseri) is a lovely tree native to small parts of the Appalachian Mountains.  Fortunately for us, we are within this lovely plant's range.  The lovely blossoms are huge, eight to twelve inches in diameter.  A cone-like red fruit follows the bloom.  The birds love the fruit.

The Mountain Magnolia is not generally available from nurseries but can be grown only under contract.  I have no idea why this is true.  It was named by John Fraser, famous botanist who studied extensively in the Appalachian Mountains in the last half of the  18th century.

 The trees can grow very tall, as high as 75 feet or more.

 This is the primary native area for the Mountain Magnolia.  Although there are isolated spots further north in the Appalachians.

 Photograph from Wikipedia

Once you have identified Mountain Magnolia, you will easily spot it among the trees in the forests.  It is lovely indeed.  Not as showy as the southern magnolia, typically associated with gentility of South Carolina and Georgia, it is nevertheless a wonderful tree, much appreciated by us and by the birds as well.