Pretty! I would love to have a Magnolia.

Beautiful!

I'm so envious! I snapped this picture of them at O'Toole's the other day and had to fight the urge to get it!

Beautiful, and I think you ought to be pretty proud of the display you get from it. I woild think that merely keeping one alive here is an accomplishment. This aint exactly Mississippi!

So true, Zach! This isn't the traditional Magnolia with the huge glossy leaves and massive blooms, but more of a shrub in comparison. The biggest Royal Star Magnolia I've seen in the Denver area is at the zoo, along the little train route. They must do something to make their soil more acidic because they seem to grow a lot of things at the zoo that don't grow, or at least don't grow very well, in alkaline soil.

Popmama, I wonder if the ones at O'Toole's are a slightly different Magnolia variety. They look so pretty, but the blooms are bright with bright green leaves, whereas the Royal Star blooms are a pale pink (that fade to white) and the leaves are more of a pale chartreuse (when they finally leaf out).

I got this one from Home Depot about 11 years ago. For some reason that one tree (there were 4 of them there) just jumped out at me. I resisted it the first time, knowing it probably wouldn't do well around here but couldn't get it out of my head. When we went back for something else a few days later and it was still there, in spite of my better judgement I brought her home. All I do is spread homemade compost at the base every year or so (and provide supplemental water). I used to have to prune back dead branches in the spring, but she seems so happy now in her new spot.

The tree I miss most from growing up back east is the flowering dogwood. I see them for sale sometimes at the big box stores but have never seen one growing around here, so I can't bear to bring one home and watch it die in my garden. I miss them so much though. They were my favorite trees to climb and just sit in as a kid.