A Newsletter from Waverly Farm Spring 2014 Waverly Farm Is a 200 Acre Field Production Nursery

Home , Magnolia, Magnolia acuminata, Magnolia grandiflora, Magnolia macrophylla, Magnolia sieboldii, Magnolia stellata

In the Field

A Newsletter from Waverly Farm SPring 2014 Waverly Farm is a 200 acre field production nursery. We grow over 400 differ- Magnolia: The ent plants with a focus on large landscape size material of above average quality. Rose of Trees An interview with Our single mission is to deliver quality plant Andrew Bunting: I first met Andrew a year and a half ago during a summer internship at The Scott material in an atmosphere of exceptional Arboretum of Swarthmore College. I was thrilled to work there, not only to work in such service, trust, and friendship. We take great a beautiful garden, but also because the people there are some of the most knowledgeable people I’ve worked with. Andrew himself seemed to know all the plants under the sun. pride in customer relationships, going all out to On top of being curator at The Scott Arboretum, he is also the President of the Magnolia Society International and creator of Fine Garden Creations. Here, I’ve picked his brain for develop a mutually beneficial partnership with all sorts of interesting information on one of our favorite flowering trees: the magnolias. our customers; it’s not work- it’s what makes Can you give me a little background on the Magnolia Society International? How large is it? this such a rewarding endeavor. Few truely There are about 600 members in 40 different countries. About half the membership is avid enjoy working with people more than we do. homeowners, and then the others are largely botanical garden people or scientists. There are a few dozen scientists in China and Japan, as well as a few in Costa Rica, Columbia, and Cuba working on physiology, taxonomic, and DNA studies.

The Waverly Farm growing system is a point of Growing Regions... and surviving the cold great pride. Ten years ago we belonged to the Which magnolias are best suited for the northeast United States? ‘sea of sameness’ for field growing strategies. A Many of the deciduous magnolias can grow in northern climates. Magnolia stellata and Magnolia long standing goal has been to leave the farm x loebneri can probably do well, as would Magnolia denudata in some of the northern areas. In addition to those, the Little Girl Hybrids developed by the National Arboretum would do well. A better than we found it. What has evolved is lot of the yellow magnolias would be fine, such as ‘Elizabeth’ and ‘Lois’. As far as native magnolias go however, Cucumber Tree Magnolia would probably do best. As you come farther south into a growing system that builds and replaces soil Coastal Boston, you might see some Magnolia grandiflora and Magnolia virginiana. There you start seeing the evergreen ones, though they don’t really do well until you start getting into the sold with our plants while dramatically en- Philadelphia climate area. hancing the transplant-ability and survivability of our plants.

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Waverly Farm Magnolia ‘Lois’ (one of seven Little Girl hybrids) -picture credit: Magnolia Society International 1931 Greenfield Road Adamstown, Maryland 21710 Are all evergreen magnolias considered ‘Southern Magnolias’? (301) 874-8300 Office No, most of the magnolias in the world are evergreen. They are found dotted through the (301) 874-8302 Fax Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, North America, and South America. There are none in Africa or Europe. Then they show up again in great numbers in China, where there’s over 100 species. Mark Nowicki- Sales They are also found in Thailand and then as far south as Papua New Guinea. [email protected] Almost all our natives are deciduous except for Magnolia virginiana and the southern magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora. M. virginiana var. australis is a light evergreen in its native habitat Jessica Ahrweiler - Sales & Marketing from South Carolina, south. And then M. grandiflora is native throughout Georgia, Alabama, and [email protected] the Florida panhandle. But you’ll see it growing as far north as parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and maybe into Boston. It is a major landscape plant throughout the southeast United Lisa DeRamus - Sales States, though you’ll see it again as a street tree in Texas and in California. [email protected] Especially after this long winter we appreciate cold hardiness! Do you find a For information: correlation between either shrub or single-trunk tree magnolias doing better in [email protected] cold weather? No. Magnolia stellata, and even Magnolia x loebneri will grow in cold areas. But then there are shrubby ones in tropical areas also. Although in the tropics, most magnolias are pretty large trees, 2 (Continues on page 3) even larger than they are for us here. they bloom so late that they’re almost blooming as the leaves come out and might get shrouded by the foliage. They are also often large because M. So would you say species that are natural to an area handle the acuminata is a huge tree to begin with, but also because they have hybrid cold better? vigor. Some of our biggest yellow magnolias are 50 feet tall: they get into Yes. You would have to look up where they come from in their sizeable trees, quickly. native regions. For instance, Magnolia stellata, which comes from mountainous regions of Japan, would work in northern climates. As far as hybridizing goes, are there any other interesting Magnolias found in higher elevation in northern latitudes of China characteristics that magnolias are being bred for? and Japan are going to be hardy in parts of the United States. But if Right now the evergreen ones we generally grow are either Magnolia it’s higher altitude South America, those aren’t going to be hardy for virginiana or Magnolia grandiflora. However, there are several Asian us. It all has to do with how they are genetically programed. species that have interesting evergreen foliage different thanM . grandiflora, like Magnolia lotungensis, Flower Color You know, for shrubs people covet the rose. It’s the favorite Magnolia yuyuanensis, and Magnolia insignis. I believe shrub. With trees, Magnolias are probably as recognized as the you’ll start to see other Do most magnolias evergreen magnolias that don’t have white flowers? rose. necessarily look like a southern Yes. All seven native North magnolia; they might look more like a cherry laurel, kind of pyramidal in American magnolias are white, as are most Chinese and Asian species. shape. Other than Magnolia acuminata, which has a yellowish flower, white is a Another trend involves the indumentum on the leaves. If you look on predominant color. the bottom side of the Magnolia grandiflora leaf, it has brown indumentum. There is a Chinese species called Magnolia Are there more yellows than purples and pinks? foveolata that has golden indumentum, so they could be crossed No, because there are so many Magnolia x soulangeana, M. with Magnolia grandiflora to create M. grandiflora varieties with stellata, and M. x loebneri. And now yellows are also being gold on the undersides of the leaves. Some magnolias have hybridized with some pink magnolias. I would say white indumentum on the top of the leaf, so in the future there could be dominates, and then there are a lot of pinkish, purplish Magnolia sieboldii ‘Colossus’- Photo Credit: hybrids with leaves that appear to be fuzzy all over. cultivars. And then the yellows. There is not a true red, but I Magnolia Society One plant that they’re working with is Magnolia sieboldii (left), International think there will be in the future. which is from China and has a fragrant, somewhat pendant white flower. If you look in the center, it has an interesting boss Breeding for new traits of purple stamens, but it is really hard to see the flower because it faces downwards. They’re hybridizing M. sieboldii with Magnolia macrophylla, Flower color seems to be an endless topic for breeding. Has Magnolia grandiflora, and Magnolia virginiana, so future hybrids might there been much breeding for flower color? have those types of flowers, but sit atop the foliage rather than hang Yes, one of the best breeding examples is the yellow magnolias. In the 60’s downward. there were some hybridizers at Brooklyn Botanic Garden looking at the They are also taking Magnolia insignis, a southern little yellow flowers of Magnolia acuminata. They thought if they hybridize evergreen Chinese species with pink and near-red flowers, and hybridizing M. acuminata with another magnolia through multiple generations, we it with Magnolia grandiflora; so M. grandiflora hybrids ten years from now could in theory bring out could have bright pink and that yellow. They picked “It was like the Holy Grail of magnolias to produce a yellow bright red flowers. M. denudata as the other They are also trying parent. If you look at its magnolia.” to breed for larger flowers. flowers they can be a little Magnolia macrophylla, M. creamy by nature, so they figured the cream and the yellow together could macrophylla subs. ashei, and M. tripetala are our native magnolias that have create a yellow flower. large, fragrant flowers. They cross magnolia species with huge flowers with Lola Koerting started this magnolia hybridizing program at the other magnolia species to manipulate their stamens, color, fragrance, or Brooklyn Botanic Garden in the 60’s. The first cross that was released was form. ‘Elizabeth’ in the 70’s, which became the most coveted magnolia. ‘Elizabeth’ The interesting thing about magnolias is, although there are (right) has a real soft, sulfur yellow flower. That many different species, many tend to hybridize was always the goal; it was like the Holy Grail of together. magnolias to produce a yellow magnolia. And then there was more hybridizing All About Magnolias: The with other magnolias like M. stellata and M. x soulangeana. Flowers went from that real soft Good & The Bad (But Mostly yellow, like the color of a tablet, to more golden Good) yellows. There’s one called ‘Gold Star’ because it is a yellow magnolia but part of its parentage is Are there any magnolias with special M. stellata, the star magnolia. It looks like a star characteristics? magnolia but it’s yellow. There’s even one here Sure: for instance, Magnolia virginiana is kind called ‘Banana Split’. There’s ‘yellow-this’, ‘golden- of an anomaly. Most magnolias come from that’. There are many yellow cultivars now; more mountainous areas: cool temperatures although we’re trialing them to pick out which with well-drained soil. However, M. virginiana ones are our favorite. grows natively in the coastal plain, from The shortcomings with the yellow Photo curtesy of Magnolia Society Internatinoal southern Massachusetts through Long Island, magnolias are that they bloom much later than the Pine Barrens, and Virginia, all the way down to central Florida where it the others. This can be good because they’re less likely to get frosted, but skips and ends up again in Cuba. And it grows. 3 (Continues on page 4) It’s the only magnolia I know that can grow in swampy, to hold ‘Magnolia Study Days’ as a way almost poor-drained standing water. If you’re looking for a native to promote magnolias to the greater magnolia that can take not-great soil conditions, then M. virginiana is population. This year we have a Magnolia probably the best for that. Study Day at The University of British Columbia Botanical Garden in Vancouver. Interesting, so Magnolia virginiana is one of our native Last year we had one in Belgium. We have also held them in South magnolias and can grow in adverse conditions: can you tell us Carolina, here at Scott Arboretum, at the National Arboretum, and at more about them? Morton Arboretum. There are two types of Magnolia virginiana: those that hold their leaves and We have also supported research for magnolias and have given those that lose their leaves. All the M. virginiana that tend to be semi- grants. For example, a scientist at Ohio State University did a whole study evergreen or evergreen are Magnolia virginiana var. australis. All those that on which yellow magnolias would be good to be replicated in mass. I’d say lose their leaves are Magnolia virginiana var. virginiana. Even though you see we have different connections to the industry. Other than researchers and it on lists in every catalog and every landscapes architect’s plant list, there is arboreta members, a good portion of our members are magnolia growers no plain “Magnolia virginiana”. It has to be either Magnolia virginiana var. like Song Sparrow Nursery in Illinois, and Rare Find Nursery in New virginiana or Magnolia virginiana var. australis. Jersey. Anyway, most M. virginiana such as ‘Henry Hicks’, ‘Moonbay’, ‘Moon Glow’, ‘Santa Rosa’, and ‘Satellite’, which are semi- evergreen are all Magnolia virginiana var. australis, followed by their cultivar name. There aren’t really many Magnolia virginiana that are selected for being deciduous. There is one M. virginiana, called ‘Northern Bell’, that is var. virginiana, but probably 90% of M. virginiana are var. australis.

I’ve heard so many great things about magnolias. Do magnolias have any negative qualities? Magnolia ‘Butterflies’ Some of their shortcomings are that certain types such as M. x soulangeana, M. stellata, M. x loebneri and M. kobus tend to get water sprouts on the trunks, which should be pruned to be more architecturally pleasing. Most magnolias are grafted, so you also have to be mindful to prune off any suckers that comes up from the roots. That would be the understock, which would be undesirable. Magnolias also have soft wood, so if we get a heavy wet snow they can be vulnerable. But then they are also relatively easily pruned. Sapsuckers Magnolia ‘Betty’ Magnolia ‘Royal Star’ A few magnolias found at Waverly Farm seem to like M. x soulangeana, M. grandiflora, and some M. virginiana and get -photo credit: Waverly Farm what look like rows of little holes. The sapsuckers may like magnolias because they have a softer bark. Pest and disease-wise they’re not immune, but they have much less Thanks Andrew, for sharing your knowledge of magnolias than some other plants. Though sometimes they can get a scale on the trunk. with us! Here is a summary taken from the interview of why Can you think of any magnolias are so popular: unique or particular “What we think of as Magnolias today magnolias that stick • Because there is incredible breadth. out to you? will not be anything what they’re like • There are both shrubs and trees. I do think these new even ten years from now.” • Magnolias sport a whole range of flower colors other than Magnolia sieboldii blue, though there are some purplish ones. hybrids are interesting. • There are seven natives. I also think M. virginiana ‘Santa Rosa’ and ‘Satellite’ are exceptional • Some plants you have to grow for 20 years before they will evergreen types, but nobody seems to be growing them. You can find them flower. Magnolias will flower in two years from the seed, you mail order, but you probably won’t find them wholesale. don’t have to wait around forever for them to flower. Magnolia ‘Judy Zuk’ is a favorite: she is very upright with a tulip- • They are fast growing and don’t have a lot of pest and disease like flower, but is more golden yellow with a fusion of pink at the base of the problems. tepals. It also has this great fragrance that smells like fruit loops. • They can live to be very old: almost any Magnolia could The thing with wholesale magnolias is most people grow Magnolia probably live to be at least one hundred years old. stellata, Magnolia x loebneri ‘Ballerina’, and maybe a couple others. But your • There are at least 5 maybe 6 people doing serious Magnolia list is actually fairly sophisticated. hybridizing. And with all this new genetic material coming in from a variety of countries, what we think of as Magnolias today How did you get involved in the Magnolia Society? will not be anything what they’re like even ten years from now. We’ve always had a big magnolia collection here; we have almost 200 different kinds. We’re also part of a National Collection scheme through American The potential is vast. Public Gardens Association called the NAPCC (the North American Plant Collections Consortium). We have one of the national collections of Magnolia, Ilex, and Quercus. I think just through reputation we’ve always had To learn more about Magnolias visit the Magnolia Society a good magnolia collection so about six or seven years ago I got asked to be International website at: on the board. And then eventually became President. www.MagnoliaSociety.com They are always welcoming new members: $30 to join and receive two The Magnolia Society seems to be pretty active, are there any full-color journals a year. ways in which it has benefited society? To view Waverly Farm’s current Magnolia availability go to: Yes, I think so. Every year we try to partner with botanic gardens or arboreta 4 www.WaverlyFarm.com/avail We love our Pazzaglia…and so should you!

Sustainable Nursery Production Traditionally, American nurseries harvest plants with a cone style tree spade. Waverly Farm digs with -article written by Jerry Faulring an Italian made vibratory blade machine that produces a spherical root ball... The advantages are many. sus·tain·able adjective- root ball holes. This is First, we compared both styles to determine which captures more of the fibrous roots located : able to be used without being completely prohibitively expensive near the soil surface. Our research shows that the root ball contains approximately 14% more soil used up or destroyed and may be impossible by weight but captures this additional soil on the horizontal plane where the roots are, instead of : involving methods that do not completely if replacement soil is not under the fibrous root use up or destroy natural resources available in adequate volume. location. This round root Second, some producers plant ball causes the plant to “Soil is the greatest source of wealth in the cover crops that can yield up stand up without the aid Pazzaglia world” to 100 tons per acre annually of chocks typical of more Our Pazzaglia root balling machine in action. -anonymous which will increase the organic pointed root balls. The planting hole is dug to a matter by 1%. Although this shallower depth saving In agriculture, sustainable mostly refers method works well, it takes time and effort during to the ability to have productive soils the land out of production for Incorporating compost with the Imants Rotary Spading Machine installation. Also, because perpetually available. To accomplish this a year, requiring the grower the ball is round, one is challenging due to some factors that to have more land to fallow. Third, soil building partial list of research-proven benefits achieved man can easily roll even are difficult to control, such as wind and can occur by amending soils with organic matter through the use of compost is impressive: a 36” ball around on firm water erosion. A field production nursery in the form of compost. • increases the soil organic matter by 1% per ground. We currently own that sells root balls with its plants faces acre with a 100 ton application, four Pazzaglia root balling 2014 will be the tenth year that we have been • reduces irrigation by ½, machines. with ball size amending our soils with 120 tons of compost • replaces need for synthetic fertilizer and capabilities from 17” for per acre before each planting cycle. Initially, we environmental damage caused by its small boxwood to 56” for Our root balls standing on their own bought compost to work out the process and leaching and production; each 1% of soil large trees. confirm benefits. Shortly thereafter we began organic matter produces 20 pounds of Everyone has their favorite seasonal plants. Each of us at Waverly Farm has making compost on the farm from horse manure nitrogen per acre annually and all the selected one of our favorite spring plants sourced for free from local equestrian farms. phosphorus and potassium plus micro Waverly Farm Spring Favorites!! we grow to share with you! On-farm composting produces material at about nutrients required to grow our plants, ¼ the cost of purchased compost and cuts the • increases the water holding capacity of our

Loading finished compost for delivery to field transportation pollution in half. root balls by 26%*, • nutrients in compost are organically the ultimate challenge of having high With the start of compost amendment, we bound to prevent leaching, quality soil available for the long term. purchased an Imants Rotary Spading Machine • eliminates the need to fallow land for At Waverly Farm, we estimate we sell manufactured in The Netherlands. This machine cover crop production, up to 300 tons of soil while harvesting not only incorporates the compost, it gently tills • mitigates climate change; 2,000 pounds of one acre of closely spaced plants. The the soil to a depth of twenty inches. Among organic matter diverted from the landfill USDA has a standard that says 6 tons of many significant benefits, this machine mixes the prevents production of 2,300 pounds of soil lost to erosion annually is acceptable. less improved soil profile into the upper regions, methane equivalent of CO2-e (equivalent Considering a five- year crop rotation in thus making new topsoil when the compost and CO2), and Jerry’s Pick: the nursery, the USDA formula would roots left behind are incorporated. • suppresses root diseases. Viburnum plicatum ‘Popcorn’ only allow for 30 tons of soil lost to “Although I enjoy all the Viburnum Lisa’s Pick: Jessica’s Pick: Mark’s Pick: Syringa x prestoniae Magnolia ‘Leonard Messel’ Ilex opaca erosion per harvest. If we managed to A In summary, we believe soil amendment cultivars, Viburnum plicatum ‘Popcorn’ yields a most interesting flower. It makes me ‘Miss Canada’ “As Magnolias are a big theme of have no loss to erosion, and we are pretty with compost makes our nursery sustainable smile because the bloom actually looks like “The Supreme Leader of all “This hybrid syringa is one by building soil, reducing our irrigation popcorn, is large, bold, and persists longer this newsletter, it is fitting to share hollies. Unrivaled Sovereign of the good at it, we would still exceed the of my favorites. It is relatively than most Viburnum flowers. We call it the one of my favorites. I love the Landscape. acceptable standard by 10 fold. requirement by half, and replacing 99% of our pest free- it doesn’t get borer lavander flowers with the darker, aristocrat of the plicatum cultivars in that Its size (up to 50’) and form (broadly synthetic fertilizer requirement. or mildew. In Spring, deep almost fuchsia stripe down the the leaves are smaller than the others, the conical) are best suited for larger plant is fuller and more compact, and the red buds open to bright pink. outside of the tepals. And they are If a field production nursery strives to places. A good female cultivar and foliage stays cleaner throughout the season. Perhaps my favorite quality fragrant. ‘Leonard Messel’ is also * data found by irrigation research conducted on- be perpetually productive, soils sold I use it in my home landscape in a mixed though, is that ‘Miss Canada’ attractive beyond its flower time: a loyal male companion will give must be replaced. There are three basic site by Maryland Extension boarder of conifers and deciduous plants to has a spicy rather than sweet the expanding foliage can be a nice berry production year after year. opportunities to replace soil. First, good screen a neighbor’s uninteresting landscape.” fragrance. It also blooms late for creamy pink, and its summer foliage Plant a beech and you have two of IMANTS Rotary Spading Machine a lilac.” is attractive as well.” the most desirable trees.” soil can be purchased and used to fill 5 6 We love our Pazzaglia…and so should you!