Chimes Tower District

Magnolia 'Ann' is one of the eight "little girl" hybrids developed at the National Arboretum in Washington DC.  This magnolia is a modern Yulan hybrid, selected for traits exemplifying the best components of both parents, in particular her late bloom period. The early flowering nature of the Asiatic magnolias has been a big driver of their popularity in western gardens since their introduction in the late 1700s, especially the production of delicate blooms on leafless branches. This does however lead to problems in the colder northeastern regions of the US where late frosts can devastate magnolia displays if flowers are already open. Breeders have worked to produce Yulan magnolias that fit the new climates that they are exposed to as avid gardeners seek to plant them in their gardens.

Bloodroot flowers are fleeting, they bloom for just a few days in early spring.  Each bloom opens in response to sunlight and closes at night or on cloudy days. The flower often withers before the leaves fully unfurl, giving it a kind of "blink-and-you-miss-it" mystique in the woodlands. Bloodroot produces a fatty "snack" or nutrient-rich structure on the seed called an elaiosome, which attracts ants. Ants carry seeds underground, eat the "snack" and leave the seed to grow—a strategy called myrmecochory. The leftover seed gets tossed aside in a waste chamber, a perfect underground spot for germination.