Magnolia Seed Harvesting
Fall is a busy time in the Wister Center Greenhouse. Volunteers work on a variety of jobs including taking cuttings of tender and tropical plants; potting up cuttings; overwintering succulent plants and this year they have been busy harvesting magnolia seeds to contribute to the Magnolia Society International’s seed exchange, The Seed Counter.
Colorful array of magnolia fruit collected from the Scott Arboretum, Henry Foundation, and Morris Arboretum. photo credit: J. Coceano
We have gathered seed from the Arboretum’s collections, as well as from the Henry Foundation in Gladwyne and the Morris Arboretum in Chestnut Hill.
Stack of follicles bursting with magnolia seeds.…
The native aromatic aster ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ is our favorite too. Symphyotrichum oblongifolium ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ has been turning heads with its dramatic floral display along the Arboretum parking lot since September. “These New England asters at Swarthmore knocked me out last week!” local garden reporter Virginia Smith wrote about her experience at the Arboretum last month.
As we approach the fall planting season, I would like to highlight a beautiful selection of glory-of-the-snow, Chionodoxa. Chionodoxa fobesii ‘Pink Giant’ is considered one of the “smaller bulbs.” This group of bulbs includes snowdrops, Galanthus; squills, Scilla; snowflakes, Leucojum; grape hyacinth, Muscari; etc. The “smaller bulbs” are great for using in large naturalistic masses in the garden.
