Mimosa (Albizia)

Albizia julibrissin. 2003. Michele Denbar. http://grannymountain.blogspot.com.

Summer is a season of rich scents, but none hits me so powerfully as mimosas do on a humid evening. Just as lindens are waning, mimosa takes full stage, casting its similar rich scent out through entire neighborhoods for pollinators. Mimosa is a catch all for many small trees and large shrubs in the Fabaceae family with similar flowers and tree structures, but these are actually quite different from the other mimosas out there. The fragrance I believe is almost as effective as the Acacias of the tropical world, but without the thorns.

This mimosa is also called the Persian silk tree for its silky flowers, but in the U.S. its best known as mimosa (although not related to Mimoseae. The tree does happen to be native to Persia in its river valleys, but also appears all the way over to East Asia. Its the hardiest tree of its tribe, hardy to zone 6a, and flourishing in every space the climate allows it to grow. As it is a tropical plant introduction, it decidedly adds a tropical feel to temperate landscapes, resembling the Acacias of Africa, although smaller. It will grow to be forty feet tall in zones 7-9, but in zones 5b-6b, it barely makes it over twenty feet, with a larger spread to thirty feet. As it is borderline hardy, it is almost always the last plant to leaf out in my area (mid May), along with crepe myrtle. Its bipinnate leaves are stunning in their length, and like many other plants in the genus, close at night, folding down in appearance.

The flowers begin to appear about this time of year in June and can last up until late August, scenting the summer nights with an incredible fragrance. The flowers are what make these trees unique, as they are watermelon pink, very much like a puffball, and appear in clusters that are identifiable from far away. The ‘flowers’ are actually composed of many small flowers in a big puffball-like cluster. The individual flowers are small, with  small calyxes and corollas, but very large stamens up to two inches long. The flower nectar attracts bees and hummingbirds during the course of the summer, and at the end of the season produce seedpods characteristic of the Legume family.

The fragrance is almost indescribable in these, as its a center point between three fragrances. It seems to be the middle note between gardenia, sweet pea, and watermelon (or perhaps pomegranate…certainly fruity). Its a fragrance that begs for more, and I cannot resist it! Even a few flowers are enough to do the trick, but a whole tree bedecked in blooms is a true ambrosia. The scent is strong day or night, but seems to prevail in humid evenings.

There are many cultivars available of the species, but the standard are the pink blossomed kind, which are unfortunately invasive in the Southeast. I’ve seen many growing wildly in the foothills beneath the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, and one would think it was the only flowering tree to grow in Knoxville if driving on the interstates in the city during its flowering period. Variants of this main species can have creamy yellow and white blooms, but this is generally uncommon. There is a redder variety called ‘Rosea,’ as well as a purple leaf variety called ‘Summer Chocolate.’ ‘Rosea’ is hardy to zone 5, and tends to end up as a twenty foot tree, while ‘Summer Chocolate’ is only hardy to zone 7, but is less floriferous.

I normally make a spiel about not growing invasive plants as standards, but this is one of the few exceptions I think we can allow for the sake of its scent. Do dispose of those seed pods though please!

Its hard to believe June is nearly over. There are so many plants I should have gotten to by now it makes my head spin, but I guess winter can always allow some catch up time, as unplanned for the bloom season as that is.

Linden (Lime) Trees

Tilia cordata. Np holmes. Wikimedia Commons.

There is no more romanticized and fragrant flower in June as those of the lime (Tilia) tree. What pleasure it is to walk in city parks at eve, bathed with the scent of the overhanging Lime flowers. It is a European tradition to plant Linden trees near walkways in parks for the June bloom and heavy fragrance they bring. The Germans even have a marked tradition of planting Linden trees over pathways in parks, and the parks and walks under the trees during bloom times are romanticized, ‘unter den linden’. (Forgive my bad German, I was a French student!)

Tilia is a moderate sized genus, having 60 members, of which only about 10 are widely planted. The genus is best represented in Asia, but both European and American species exist that are planted widely. The trees all tend to bloom around the summer solstice in June, with some blooming earlier or later, into autumn. The flowers are normally quite small, but are potently fragrant in some species; being reminiscent of clover and honey. The flowers hang on a leaf-like cluster in some species, adding a strange look to the trees. The trees themselves are also quite impressive, growing to be 60-100 feet tall in many cases, and having lovely heart-shaped leaves, some with silvery undersides. The wood from the trees also yields great wood for woodworking, and is incredibly durable. The wood has been used for making guitars, fibers, even the back of famous icons in the Orthodox Church!

T. americana, Basswood, is an American species, with a wide range over the Eastern U.S. and Southern Canada. Basswood is a widely cultivated tree in these regions, and blooms in midsummer, around the solstice. It yields a nice honey from the fragrant flowers. The flowers can also be used in tea, along with the bark for a variety of homemade medicinal cures.

T. cordata, Little-leaf linden, is native to much of Central Europe, with a wide range north to south and east to west. It is easily the most fragrant of the lindens, and blooms in early June. There are many ancient trees in many parts of Europe of this species, and it is the widest planted tree for street and yard specimens in both Europe and the United States. This tree is also one of, if not the hardiest, down to zone 3.

T. heterophylla is another American native to the Eastern U.S., particularly to the Appalachian mountains. It is distinguished from T. americana by having larger leaves with white, hairy undersides, and larger flowers. T. heterophylla is rarer than T. americana in its native range, and has a smaller crown. The young leaves make a nice herbal tea.

Lastly, T. tomentosa, the silver lime, is another nice specimen linden, native to Southern Europe. It appears like a cross between T. heterophylla and T. americana, with large leaves with silvery undersides. Silver lime is wonderfully and heavily honey scented, blooming earlier than T. americana, and with larger flowers in hanging cymes. It is one of the few with toxic nectar to bees, and several can be found on the ground under these blooming trees, stunned by the nectar.

Tilia tomentosa. Jean-Pol Grandmont. Wikimedia Commons.

While Lindens do make nice specimen plantings, they tend to drop a lot of plant debris and honeydew on anything below them, making for a hellacious cleanup. The flowers tend to bloom for a short window, but one scented walk under them is memorable for an entire lifetime! No wonder they are so beloved in the ranges they will grow, being one of the most useful and scented trees known to the temperate regions.

 

Summer Blooming Magnolias

Magnolia grandiflora. DavetheMage. Wikimedia Commons.

Nothing says summer more than the scent of the summer blooming Magnolias! These trees are a staple of the American South, and are culturally significant to the region, being the source of many literary references, movie references, and perfume and candle scents. M. grandiflora has large flowers (up to one foot long) that are very fragrant of lemon, with a musky to rank undercurrent. Its a very endearing scent nonetheless, and a neighborhood bathed in the scent on a humid evening is one of the finer scents of the horticultural world.

The tree grows over a large region in the Southern United States by the coast. The larger trees are hardy to zone 8, but many cultivars are available on the market hardy to zone 6, like Bracken Brown and Little Gem, which happen to be minis. I’ve noticed many of these small cultivars growing here in my home of Lexington, Kentucky at a zone of 6b, and some have been known to grow as far north as Cincinnati, Ohio in zone 6a.  The trees are rarely higher than 30 feet in these locations however.

The flowering is over a wide period, from mid-May to September. The largest bloom occurs in June, but many trees will have a smattering of blooms throughout the season. The largest trees will grow to be up to 100 feet, but they are more common topping out in the 80 foot range. These evergreen trees are native to the moist forests and swamps of the Coastal plain, but can grow in a variety of conditions as long as they get water during establishment. Be warned that in marginally hardy areas, one good cold snap with wet soil conditions is enough to take out these trees. They are also intolerant of ice storms, due to their large evergreen leaves, and the branches will snap, as they did this past year in many places across the south.

Magnolia sieboldii. Daniel Mosquin. http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca.

M. sieboldii has a bloom period much like the Southern Magnolia, blooming in late May and early June heavily, but continuing throughout the season with a small smattering of blooms. Its an East Asian native, and is national flower of North Korea.  It is a smaller growing tree, only up to 30 feet, and often only making it to large bush size. The flowers are 4-5 inches across, with striking red stamens, and a sweet smell. It is deciduous, but has nice large leaves in either case. Its a perfect small garden and courtyard specimen.

M. sieboldii is more particular about growing conditions, but it is hardier than the Southern Magnolia, and able to grow better in Northern gardens, as long as its not given a southern exposure which encourages earlier bloom. Its a rarer specimen, and I have never come across any in bloom in my home state of Kentucky.

Lastly, I apologize for the lack of posts on this blog. I am rather busy of late, and exhausted most nights. Please forgive me for my lack of reliable posts! Also, if I have not talked about a certain fragrant plant, feel free to give me suggestions for plants to detail!

Crab apple

Malus sp. Kilo22. Wikimedia Commons.

If there is one flowering tree that is exalted above all others this time of year for fragrance, it is the crab apple. The same species as the orchard apple, Malus domestica, and overlapping the same range as the parent species; crab apples are as floriferous as they are fragrant. There are many wild species that grow in the Eastern United States, as well as Europe, and they grace the countryside with their blooms between April and early June. The small tree is a common standard in well-maintained gardens and farms, and is a common sight in my hometown, gracing many horse farms with their blooms this time of  year. Now in Kentucky, they bloom only about three weeks between April and May, but some species will bloom later than others. The small trees can grow to be about twenty feet, taller in the wild, and produce small fruits in September that last through winter or until the birds eat them up. The fruits make a delicious jam, but are too astringent to be eaten fresh, and indigestible.

The fragrance is outstanding, particularly on a warm evening breeze. These trees when they blossom go all out, covering every branch with their white to dark pink blooms. The fragrance is warm and sweet, reminiscent of apple flesh, with a musky, rose-like flair, that only becomes enhanced as the evening wears on. No scented garden could be complete without one in my opinion, as they outshine every other temperate fruiting tree in terms of fragrance. Sadly, the orchard apple blossoms are not nearly as sweet, and require much more maintenance if the end-goal is to be a fruit crop. There are many cultivars of crab apple and regular apple available- I tend to prefer the white flowering ones for fragrance, and the pink for aesthetics.

Happy Easter all! I plan on posting about Easter flowers tomorrow.

The many Prunus

Prunus is a species that is so vast and important I hardly know which picture to use for my intro! Here’s a spoiler though: Peaches, Almonds, Apricots, Plums, and Cherries. And they are ALL fragrant! Well mostly… some more than others, for example: many cherry trees are unfortunately not fragrant, as much as we want those beautiful blossoms to be! Some cherries are lightly fragrant, with a scent combining baby powder and cherries, but I have no unfortunate idea what species or cultivars they could be. Not like it matters much, Cherry blossoms will be a spring cultural favorite regardless of scent anyways. And then you get to sandcherries (P. pumila), of which certain cultivars are so fragrant that I go out of my way to smell them each year, even though they are cultivated more for the purple leaves than blossoms. Sand cherry smells more like plum than cherry, but the fragrance is sweet and fruity and the tree has leaves in a beautiful purple easy to get along with.

Prunus mume. Kakidai. Wikimedia Commons.

As for the secret to Prunus blossoms: they smell like the fruit they are going to be in the long run. Peaches smell peachy, apricots apricot-y, plums like honey coated prunes, so on and so forth. The more fragrant members of the family are P. mume, the Japanese Apricot/Chinese Plum, that blooms on warm days in February with a sweet fragrance (and provides us with plum sake, one of my personal favorite alcoholic drinks on the planet); P. cerasus, the sour cherry; most of the plums; and almonds, P. dulcis, which are the most fragrant of all with a baby powder sweetness and almond finish. Many plants capture the almond flower essence if the tree is unavailable to the nose, including several wildflowers like Epigea repens, the Trailing Arbutus that blooms in early May in old forests in the Eastern U.S.,several Clematises, and sweet almond verbena (Aloysia virgata). The Prunus species has a large range of bloom from early to late, so surely the nose will catch at least one!

There are many blooming trees this time of year and Prunus are but a few of the fruiting ones that grace us with fragrance right now. Later I’ll explore pears and Hawthorne, which are not as pleasant to the nose, and Apples, which are beyond compare in sweetness. Lastly, the weather around here has been erratic lately, and luckily for me has turned cold, allowing me more time to delve into this fragrant season! Luckily we avoided a huge freeze last night in town, but others out in the country likely were not as lucky, and as long as we warm back up and it doesn’t snow again hopefully we’ll all be happy right?

Anyways the next few days I probably won’t make any long posts with Holy Thursday and Good Friday, but I will certainly do an excerpt on Easter favorites in time for Sunday.