Candace is standing in front of one of the largest magnolia trees in Washington, D.C. Doesn't it look like it's a solid mass of leaves? Well, surprise, come inside…

                    

Candace is inside the magnolia. There are lots of branches that reach to the ground and get buried. They create wonderful spaces to explore. Why do you think the leaves on the branches are mostly on the outside "wall" of this "tree house?"

Bonus fact:
This is a magnolia that an Arboretum scientist created when he crossed the pollen of one type of magnolia with the eggs from another type. He did this in the 1930s. When a seedling grew as a result of this cross pollination, the scientist planted it in this field. He wanted to see what kind of tree the seedling would grow up to be. Do you think he would be surprised to see what a giant his tree became as a 70+ year old?

How to find the huge magnolias at the Arboretum:
Go to the parking lot at the Holly and Magnolia Collections. Turn around so you're facing away from the parking lot and across the road (look at the map—you'll be facing east, or on the right side of the north arrow). You'll see three huge magnolias on the hill in front of you. This picture is of the one on the far right.

Scientific name for the huge magnolia: Magnolia virginiana x grandiflora

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Last Updated   July 10, 2009 10:05 AM
URL = http://www.usna.usda.gov/Gardens/collections/VirtualTours/KidsVirtualTour_22b.html