Gardening Curiosity

One of the delightful surprises in my new-to-me garden this year is this amazing bush.
It stands beside my driveway, and reaches almost 8 feet tall.
I suspect, that like all the rest of the yard, it has been ignored by the previous tenants for the past five years.

It gave me a few blooms last Sept after I moved in (perhaps grateful for the drinks of water - finally)
And now this spring, it has fully blossomed -
It is so lovely.
One friend called it a "tulip tree" - and perhaps she is correct - yet, I am sending out this query to my gardening pals. Do you know what specifically this is? Its leaves resemble a rhododendron, and open after it has bloomed.    

As you can see, the leaves are just beginning to appear now.
(And yes, for those of you who might ask.. that is my neighbor's yard in the background... the rhodies & azaleas are in full bloom here too!)  I look forward to all your thoughts about whether I should feed it, or trim it, or just let it continue to be the "wild child" that it is right now (which I must admit I am rather enjoying)

Comments

[jess]

it looks like a saucer magnolia, often called a tulip tree. :) they are gorgeous, and one of my favorite trees.

[stacey]

that looks just like the magnolia my friend has in her yard. they are stunning!

[heatherly]

a REAL tulip tree has leaves shaped like tulips that are yellow in autumn. and HUGE and tree-like.
this is definitely a type of magnolia.

[TheBon]

Definitely a saucer magnolia.

[Carole]

A type of magnolia - like everyone else has said. Whatever it's official name, it's lovely.

[sprite]

I agree with everyone else.

Here in the south they call it a magnolia. At home in New England, we called it a tulip tree.

[Chris]

No clue, but it's pretty. :)

[margene]

I've heard it called tulip and magnolia. Pretty it is no matter the name.

[Cybèle]

Was just about to say, isn't it a magnolia, but I see lots of others have already suggested that! In Western-Europe magnolias flower much earlier than rhododendrons though - usually very early Spring, whereas rhododendrons are about to start blossoming now, or maybe even in a few weeks' time.
pretty bush though!

[KarenK]

Hi Teyani! Here's a gardening link to info about your tulip magnolia:

http://www.californiagardens.com/Plant_Pages/magnolia_soulangiana.htm

or http://tinyurl.com/4g4bod

Happy Springtime!

[Leah]

Got me, but it's gorgeous!

[Karen]

I didn't know what it was, but I see a lot of other people did. I was not blessed with green thumbs.

[Dicentra]

I think it's a magnolia also. If you decide to prune it the best time to do it is right after it finishes blooming. The tulip tree I know from Florida grows here in western Oregon and has a tulip shaped leaf, sort of like a squared off maple leaf with yellow/green tulip-like flowers. It grows into a gigantic, straight tree and is one of my favorite trees.

[denise]

Definitely a Magnolia Soulangiana. These are quite popular in Olympia.

There is an especially nice planting near Olympia High School that's huge. It is actually two trees but they were originally planted fairly close and have the appearance of one giant magnolia. Very impressive this time of year if you get down that way.
:-)

[jackie]

I don't know what to call it, but I like it! I'm glad that you were able to get an answer.

[Laurie]

Looks like I have nothing to add. Throw some 5/10/5 fertilizer in its drip line this month (four handfuls?)

[Wool Winder]

We call this a Japanese Magnolia around here. Which, from reading the links here, seems to be another name for it. Looks like you have all the facts now. Sure is pretty!

[Dr. Steph]

Magnolias--I love them.

I tagged you for a meme. Come and play.

[Jennifer]

Don't prune it too much, it wants to be branchy, not bushy. Totally impressed that you have a reader in Kazakhstan.

[Ruinwen]

The flowers of whatever it is are sure lovely! :)

[amanda]

the ones down here aren't bushes but trees and they're japanese magnolias. the blooms last such a short time and they are amazing!

[Vicki]

Isn't it beautiful!? There are two on my block -- ancient and enormous and positively covered with flowers. They're one of the highlights of my spring!

[anne]

that is one pretty shrub!