Always Growing

This post, “Crybaby” was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana

The Crybaby Tree (Erythrina crista-galli) has just started blooming.  According to everything I have read about this tree, it is an heirloom plant that has been planted in the South forever.  They are called “crybaby” because nectar is supposed to drip from the blossoms, though I have never seen mine do this. 

Many years ago, my neighbor had one in her yard and had to cut it down to put in a driveway. The next spring, little seedlings popped up in her yard, and I dug up three.  I gave one to my mom, one to my sister, and I kept one.  I kept mine in a pot for a year to give it some size before I put it in the ground.  From a four inch seedling, I now have a ten foot tree.

I planted it on the property line where it would get some sun.  It grew well the first year but froze to the ground.  It came back bigger the next spring.  For about three years it froze to the ground, and then as it got bigger only the top would freeze.  I have read that the rootstock can take -10 degrees if mulched very well.  When the warm weather came, it would send out shoots from about four feet off the ground.  Now, only the top two feet seem to freeze.

About three years after I planted this tree and it was a good size, I made a flower bed the length of the property line where it was planted.  I put in some azaleas, lorepetulum and other fuchsia, pink, or purple flowering plants.  It wasn’t until the crybaby tree started to bloom that I realized the color of its blooms and everything else clashed.  But I quickly realized, I didn’t care.  I liked this tree too much to take it out (it was too big, anyway), so I left it alone.

Now that it has grown bigger and has more flower stalks, it really is a striking display.  I don’t think it looks too out of place with the other flowering plants since it is blooming between the flowering of most of the fuschia colored ones.  

This plant does have a few drawbacks besides the freezing back in the winter.  It does have some thorns, and is said to be poisonous.   

This past April, I bought a relative of the Cry Baby Tree, the Coral Bean Tree.  This has bright red flowers that look like claws.  It is only about 8 inches high, so I think it will be a while before I have flowers to show.  I can’t wait - these erythrina plants are so unusual.

This post, “Magnolia” was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana 

One of the signature plants of the deep South is the Magnolia grandiflora.  This majestic, evergreen tree has large, glossy dark green leaves and huge, fragrant, white blossoms.  Every thing about these trees is big.  These trees are big - 60 to 90 feet, the flowers are big - 12 inches across, and the leaves are big - 8 inches long.  The cones that come after have shiny, bright red seeds.

We did not plant our tree, previous owners did that for us.  However, this giant of a tree must have room to grow, and the planters of our tree put it too close to the house.  It does give us welcome shade in the summer, but there are problems with this magnolia. 

Nothing grows under it.  Shallow roots are exposed making it difficult to walk around this tree.  As it grew larger and grass was dying out in an ever expanding area, I decided to make the entry garden.  The shape of which was determined by magnolia shade and root area.  So far things are working out well.

Another problem is the falling leaves.  They are large, leathery and never seem to decompose.  It seems as if things are falling out of this tree nine months of the year.  First, it is the leaves.  As new leaves come out in the spring, older leaves drop off.  By the thousands.  A mulching lawnmower takes care of the ones on the lawn, but in the garden where they cannot be raked, I have a stick with a nail on the end and pick each one up.  Next, comes the thin outer sheath of the flowers.  These will decompose rapidly, but still are unsightly on a newly mown lawn and freshly swept walkway.  Lastly comes the cones.  These are not large or spiny, but stepping on one is not pleasant.

So, with all the above negatives, why would anyone plant one of these trees?  If they are planted as a specimen, free standing tree, there is nothing lovelier.  The leaves tend to fall straight down around the trunk and would not have to be raked often.  Several homes in our area have them planted out in the yard and never have the problems with debris like we do having it close to sidewalks.  The showy, red seeds attract birds and are eaten by squirrels.  This makes a wonderful shade tree planted in the right spot.

The flowers and large leaves are often used for seasonal decorations and floral arrangements here in the South.  Either left their natural green or sprayed gold or silver, these leaves are used in door, mantel, and stairway swags.  So while this can be a high maintenance tree, it is extensively planted for its large, saucer-shaped, fragrant flowers and large evergreen leaves.  It can be grown to zone 7, and some new varieties are said to survive to zone 5.  Low care is also another plus to this tree.  No spraying or extensive pruning, etc. is needed. 

This is the state tree of Louisiana and Mississippi, and throughout the South there are many people who find this evergreen tree to be very splendid tree indeed.

This post, “Japanese Magnolis” was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana 

One of nicest signs of late winter or early springtime is the emergence of the Japanese Magnolia’s flowers.  This small deciduous tree is also known as the Saucer Magnolia.  They are now blooming all over the neighborhood.  I do not have one in my garden, but one of my neighbors has two of them right next to our adjoining property line.  So, I get to enjoy the blooms every year.

These trees make a very dramatic display since the flowers appear before the leaves.  The ones next door are about eighteen feet tall and are prolific bloomers.  When the flowers open, they remind me of tea cups sitting up on the tree branches.  Another thing I like about this magnolia is the color of the flowers.  The pink blossoms are so striking against a bright blue sky as well as a gray one.

These are very old trees.  They were about the same size as they are now when we moved in 30 years ago.  The original owner did a fantastic job pruning these trees.  Their leafless branches make for an interesting winter scene.

The showy blooms are about five to six inches across with a very pale pink interior and a dark pink exterior.  Some of the flowers are on low branches so the individual bloom can be seen and enjoyed.

I think these flowers are so lovely.  I even enjoy them when they fall on the ground.  All the pink petals on the green lawn make a pleasing still life picture.