Japanese Magnolia Extravaganza.

March 19-25 2010,

In the last week I have had occasion to shoot over a thousand frames of the Japanese Magnolias that grace the Arkansas State Capitol Grounds.  They are --as would be expected --an annual event, though they seem to be EXTRA gorgeous this year, in part, because they stayed on the trees without a freeze.  Like everything else this year, they bloomed about a week later than last year, and given that the last three years have bitten the blooms and turned them brown, that's a welcome delay.

The Japanese Magnolias, are - as the name suggests - a transplant. I have yet to find one in the wild, but they stand for me, as the gateway to Spring.

We appear to have three varieties of the Japanese Magnolia on the Capitol Grounds -- One variety characterized by longer petals and branches (and which blooms a few days earlier), another version with short stubby branches and a denser bloom pack, and one lone small tree with a purple, rather than soft pink bloom.

To see even more, check out these Facebook Galleries:  JMag 2010-1, JMag 2010-2, JMag 2009, and JMag 2003-2008 --- Then be sure to become a Fan of the FB Mightyworks Project Page. Thanks.

Snapshot Week 8: 2/22 -2/28 Maple Force

file: Johnquils



Red-Maple flowerette





File: Japanese Magnolia

Japanese Magnolia of the stubby branch, second variety





file: Wild Pear (Bradford?)




Snapshot:

1)The lacy smaller Jonquil made a showing, while the the larger big daffodils are poking up.


2)The Silver Tip and Mountain Maples continue in full flower, though I have yet to see a whisper from the larger Sugar Maples.


3/4) Japanese Magnolia varieties 1 and 2 in full force at the Arkansas State Capitol. Variety 2 is a little later blooming with shorter pedals, found on short stubby branches.


5) Tuesday/Wednesday 24/25 - I noticed the first wild Pear in bloom (these may be Bradfords, but they are less shaped than the store bought variety. Thursday morning (2/26) Brads started opening in Little Rock. The trees started blooming in mass between 10 Am and 2PM. Really. Followed by a similar cycle a day later in Conway. (The quick flash bloom seems to have slowed given colder temps into the weekend.

Other activity:

Yellow forsythia (sp)
Pink Japonica

Snapshot Week 7: Feb 15-21

Maple florettes


Wooden "blooms" of the Tulip Poplar



Japanese Magnolia


I expect these next weeks (since I am posting this late and already know the future;) will be filled with the stuff of Maples and Japanese Magnolias. Drive down any Arkansas Highway, and you are likely to see a red mist scattered trough the woods. These would be the petal-less blooms of Maples. Beyond that, the Capitol is flashing her yearly big pink. Maybe this year we will make it though the blooming season without attendant snow or ice.

Snapshot Week 6: 2/8-2/14 First Spring

Japanese Magnolia. 2/12 -2/13. They were not open the morn of the 13th but were by 11AM that same day.

Henbit 2/13

White Clover 2/13

Bradford Pear 2/13

I'm afraid I may not be able to keep track this next week. The place looks like it is about to explode.

Sanpshot 1/1/09 - 1/10/09 (Week1*)

I've called this a week, but I am throwing in a few extra days to make the calendar week start from here on out on Sunday.

Mostly overcast, with a startle-blue day or two.

Temps hovering just under freezing to 60f.

Two days of ice on branches, following freezing rain (Little Rock) Jan 5/6

White Oak, remain brown, with a healthy body of leaves still on the trees.

Japanesee Magnolia buds build silently. (they seem to be to big to call "buds"

Mountain Maple pre-floral buds swell not long after leaf launch.

Ps. Look for weekly sanpshots as a new feature.