Magnolia virginiana ludoviciana JC Raulston Arboretum The cross was probably first

The cross was probably first made by the late

a resemblance that has raised more than one eyebrow over a perfectly innocent native plant

where the compact two to three foot frame and bright narrow leaves can be appreciated up close

and honesty serves the gardener better than romance here

Commonly known as the needle-leaf totara

Magnolia virginiana ludoviciana JC Raulston Arboretum The cross was probably firstSweetbay is one of the loveliest and most useful of the native magnolias, and this is Sweetbay from the far western edge of the range, the big leaved, big flowered form of the Louisiana and east Texas country long known in gardens as Magnolia virginiana ludoviciana. Set against the typical species, these western Gulf plants carry noticeably larger leaves and flowers, with soft down on the undersides of the leaves and on the flower buds, and grow as