On 2014-07-05 11:52:59 +0000, Sacha said:

On 2014-07-05 07:59:21 +0000, Jeff Layman said:

On 04/07/2014 10:09, Sacha wrote:
On 2014-07-04 06:48:27 +0000, Jeff Layman said:

On 03/07/2014 23:16, Sacha wrote:
We did an evening tour of the garden and walking up the nursery path,
Raymond glanced at the Liriodendron tulipifera he planted about 20
years ago, maybe more and let out a yell. For the first time ever, it's
flowered! We counted about a dozen blooms on it. It's only waited until
it's around 35' tall! Do they usually take so long to flower?

I think so. It is a member of the Magnolia family, after all. 20
years isn't too bad - it could have taken after M. campbellii!

The irony of that is that Ray planted that Magnolia about 18 or so
years ago and it started flowering about 8 years ago!

Are you sure that it is straight M. campbellii? According to Hillier,
M. campbellii subsp mollicomata flowers earlier - "sometimes within 10
- 15 years". There are also hybrids between M. campbellii subsp
campbellii and M. campbellii subsp mollicomata (raised at Sidbury in
Devon) which also flower earlier than M. campbellii.

I'm not sure, no but will ask Ray if he rememers which he planted.

Well, I did and he's as sure as he can be that it's straight M.
Campbellii. He was given it as a seedling from a tree on the Delamore
estate. That tree was at least 100 years old, apparently.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk