About four blocks west of the Ottawa Heart Institute, just across an intersection with no traffic controls that pedestrians can use, is an exceedingly old magnolia tree that fills the small front yard of its house. Thirty feet tall? Possibly. Branches down to the ground? Definitely.
I’ve been keeping an eye on it for about 10 days. Here’s how it’s changed in that time, looking left to right.
It appeared to peak a few days ago when the skies were overcast. Today, though, the skies were blue, and if it was past its peak, it was only barely. Here’s what it looks like today from two vantage points. A power line runs unavoidably through it and I don’t even care. Well, not much.
And here’s the close-up view that misses the overall impact but that has a charm of its own. I’ve never seen such dense flowering.
Magnolias are magnificent in the spring. We have one across the road that must be 50 years old and is still a mass of blossom from topmost twig to sod. Too bad that magnolias are singularly unimpressive the rest of the year.
Do magnolias try to teach us that beauty is a short-lived thing?
Jim T – Maybe it’s that it’s enough to have one or two good weeks every year.
At this time of year, magnolias are in bloom all over the city of Guelph. Beautiful.
Tom
Tom – Excellent. They could start a Magnolia Festival.
An ancient, interesting, & beautiful branch of flowering plants.
Ralph – They are interesting. A friend sent me photos of the flowering magnolias in their area – evergreen ones! For those wanting to learn more, start here: Wiki.
That is one dense magnolia!!!
Jim R – IKR? My tree (admittedly marauded by squirrels) gets at most 1 bloom per twig or branch. Nothing like this.
A friend who has a magnolia has put no end of work into keeping it pruned and healthy. When I see some of these older trees with great clouds of blossoms, I wonder how many generations of owners have tended to them and with how much care. They seem almost a public service despite their private ownership.
Laurna – That’s a good way to think of it. I remember being struck by the number of old flowering trees in Ottawa – and thinking of all the people who had planted and tended them over the decades. I even wrote something about it: You in your small corner.