Friend of Gardening--Magnificent Magnolias Abound in Taylorville

By Gwen Podeschi, Christian County Master Gardener

It's been a COLD spring and trees are still bare, probably remembering the little trick Mother Nature played on them last year. Bare branches are usually the background for the display put on by brave—and sometimes frost-blasted—magnolias gracing our city. The word summons forth images of stately, glossy-leaved trees swathing southern plantation gardens, but Taylorville boasts its share of their cousin, Magnolia Soulangiana. Sadly, we lost one of the best and brightest in this pantheon in the name of progress just weeks ago, but the remaining trees soldier on, reminding everyone that warmer days will surely soon be here.

The most noticeable members of the magnolia species in our city are commonly called saucer magnolias, but their blooms more nearly resemble large tulips in shades ranging from pale pink to nearly purple. The floral display is highlighted by the lack of leaves on the trees. Known to flower as early as mid-March, these trees often fall victim to frosty nights, but the display in milder years more than makes up for taking the risk. "It's a sweet tree," says Bob Evans, a lucky magnolia tree owner living on the corner of Second and Clay Streets. "When it's in bloom, I just stop to look at it." His specimen was planted by Edythe Bare's daughter, June Trulock, around 1953, according to Bob. He still has the Kousa dogwood she planted and will no doubt be enjoying its show later in the spring. The family moved to Taylorville from Greenville and brought the trees up with them. The magnolia lost a limb in the ice storm last year, but the only routine trimming Bob does is to keep it off of the roof. Other than that minimal care, owning the tree is pure joy.

Strolling north on Clay Street will put you in the path of many other saucer magnolias, large and small. One of the oldest can be found in the spacious yard of Billy Hamell and Lisa Johnson's 1872 home. The old tree has a lot of character, not having changed a great deal since the 1950s when Dr. Monaghan's family dwelt in the house built by the Shumway family. "My sister Barbara would go to her friend June Monaghan's and I remember that tree looking almost as it does now," says John Podeschi. A waxing moon hung in the evening sky this week, visible through the branches of this senior citizen tree, thrilling a gardener's heart. It's good to know that someone cherishes this veteran of another era.

Just a bit further down Clay Street a special saucer magnolia hugs the porch of Nancy McClure's home. "It blooms just a tiny bit later than the other trees in town," says Nancy, "and its color is deeper." Appearing almost purple in the early evening sunlight, this magnolia shows two of the best qualities the species can boast. The flowers are lovely and the bark of its multi-stemmed trunk gleams light-gray. "Funny thing is, I can't get a thing to grow under it. I had a lovely stand of grass one spring after planting a whole farm of grass seed, but the neighborhood children just can't resist climbing it and playing there." Sure enough, Doug and Carolyn Brown's four children are enjoying the tree just outside the window.

Nancy was another person whose tree came with the house attached, and she elected to keep this gorgeous specimen. "Jim Cooper, Sr., had four trees planted here when his family lived here in the early 1960s, two crimson maples that were lost to blight and a tulip tree that lost a fight with a windstorm." This sole survivor of Mr. Cooper's quartet doesn't lose its showy blooms to frost too often and was not damaged at all by the ice of December, 2006.

Saucer magnolias are being hybridized to tolerate northern climes and it's not difficult to find 25 or 30 trees in a short walk around Taylorville. The trees are especially noticeable when in full bloom, but the bark and growth habit of a happy tree make this species welcome year-round. With an appearance reminiscent of the American beech, magnolias grow more quickly, producing a tree that puts a special accent on the landscape. The 'Little Girl' hybrids can be found in the trade with names like 'Ann,' 'Betty,' and 'Susan.'

Very occasionally one will find a lucky homeowner in possession of a Southern Magnolia Grandiflora. Gail Wall moved to Taylorville four years ago, hailing originally from Atlanta, Georgia. "It was like someone planned for a southerner to live here," she says of her home on West Franklin Street. Gail claims not to be a serious gardener, preferring just to putter in the garden and enjoy the beauty to be found there, but she knows by instinct what to keep and how to take care of it. A crape myrtle stands just to the south of her garage and 'Niko' blue hydrangeas are currently buried under a heavy layer of mulch, waiting for summer.

In spite of ice storm damage and a little "freezer-burn" on its evergreen leaves, her Southern Magnolia is also ready for summer. "The tree is probably at least 10 years old," Gail speculates. In southern climates, this magnolia can attain heights reaching up to 80 feet, but northern cold and ice keep specimens here small. A second tree near her back gate lost all its leaves in December, 2006, but continues to brave the cold. Presently, the tree is sporting one of Gail's additions to her lovely garden, maroon and white Lenten roses in full bloom. The umbrella-like foliage is fresh and green, and the plants are loaded with some of the earliest flowers to appear in the garden. Hellebores continue to show their flowers well into summer, but the colors may fade a bit. Not to worry—the green foliage is a hit in its own right.

Among magnolias to enjoy in Taylorville, Magnolia Stellata shouldn't be forgotten. Rose Marie Bell confesses herself "extremely pleased" with her Star magnolia. She had always admired Camille Whitney's tree on West Main Cross and decided to plant a Star magnolia herself about twenty years ago. "I'm amazed at how many people stop to tell me how beautiful it is," Rose Marie says. The long, slender petals make the name obvious, covering the small tree in a blizzard of flowers.

It's always a pleasure to talk to folks who value their landscape and the trees within them. Everyone I spoke with mentioned the loss of the magnolia that grew near the home/office of Dr. Irving and Ethel Rossoff. The tree was a harbinger of spring and it will be missed. It might have been a contender for the Illinois champion trees list, but now we'll never know. So the next time the stunning pink of our saucer magnolias catch your eye, take Bob Evans' advice and just stop to look at it. And talk to people—everyone you know—about the value of big trees in our lives!

Christian County Master Gardener, Gwen Podeschi, conducts interivews with local residents who have a special talent, project, or landscape feature of interest. These interviews are then written up and published locally.