Saucer Magnolia -- a sure sign of spring!

Some call it the Tulip tree; others call it the Japanese magnolia. Magnolia x Soulangiana, the Saucer magnolia, is a lovely deciduous flowering tree. Its showy flowers are large and goblet shaped, and when opened fully resemble a 'saucer,' with the petals ranging from 5" to as much as 10" in diameter.

They are all over Mobile, but finding a place to stop and snap some pictures isn't that easy.  Here are a few shots taken over this past weekend.

The photographs do not really show the natural beauty of these lovely trees.

Bradford Pear Watch

This flowering ornamental tree is a beauty to see each spring. There is a row of the trees on my way to work and they are just beginning to bud, so I'm doing a daily 'Bradford Pear Watch' to see the process from start to finish. It's my version of time-lapse photography.

Day 1

Pansies, Pansies, Pansies!!!

These flowers are so precious. They bloom from October-May and add so much color to the drab winter landscape. And if you get close enough, there is just the softest hint of a fragrance that really can't be described.

Baby Pink Camellia

In my daughter's yard.  This bush is huge!

The only problem?  When the flowers finish blooming and hit the ground. See how these blossoms are on top of the leaves?

Something is definitely off with my camellia bush.

If the camellia is the state flower,

then why do I only have one camellia bush in my yard?

Because it was here when I bought my house and there was really no place to put another one.  The strange thing about this bush---the flowers are underneath the leaves, not on top, as can be seen in the photograph.

This bush is over eight feet tall so I'm not sure how old it is, but I've been here five years.  The one great thing about it is that it is maintenance-free. I can always count on it to give me beautiful red blooms each year at this time.

Why the Camellia japonica, you ask?

Until 1959, the goldenrod was the state flower of Alabama. It had been officially named by the Alabama Legislature in 1927.  School children had selected it because, according to the Alabama Department of Archives and History, "...it blooms everywhere and brightens the fall months with its liberal plume-like flowers."

It seems that some ladies residing in Butler County did not consider the goldenrod worthy of the title, since it was a wildflower, and for all intents and purposes, a weed.  So, in spite of the fact that the camellia is native to China, it officially replaced the goldenrod as Alabama's State flower in August of 1959.

The story does not end there, however. In June of 1999, the Alabama Legislature specifically named Camellia japonica as the official State flower.  This particular cultivar is very widespread throughout the entire southeast United States, not just Alabama, as an ornamental shrub. There are apparently over 3,000 separate varieties, hybrids and cultivars of Camellia japonica, according to http://www.floridata.com/.

While we're waiting for spring.....

How about some interesting factoids about Alabama? Do I have your curiosity aroused?

What is the Alabama state flower? 

A) goldenrod
                                                          

   B) camellia
                                                           

  C) azalea

  D) camellia japonica

Since the suspense is probably more than you can stand, I'll tell you.  If you guessed B, you are partially correct.  If you guessed A, you are also partially correct.  If you guessed C, you are wrong, although I personally think it should be. So that leaves D.