By Danelle Cutting
For the Salisbury Post

Even though we have had a lot of rain, we are still getting blooming and beautiful flowers at Hurley Park every week. One of the most photographed areas at the park is near our pond with the lovely magnolia collection. This area has some of the earliest blooms with the saucer magnolia but one of our beloved southern favorites is starting to bloom now — the southern magnolia.

The southern magnolia is typically a pyramidal shaped tree that can grow as tall as 80 feet and as wide as 40 feet. They are in many of our landscapes and have been treasured for years due to their illustrious white fragrant flowers. What is nice about the southern magnolia is that there are a few different varieties and some that are smaller in size (but can still get over 30 feet).

If you have a large area free from obstructions and would like to try growing your own they are a lovely option. They can tolerate moist soils but do not like heavily saturated areas. It is recommended to not plant anything underneath them because of its shallow roots. It is also recommended to use mulch because of the same issue and soil erosion.

As the flowers start to bloom at Hurley Park, their grand display is usually during the summer. The leaves and fruit/seeds are used extensively in decorations and make wonderful garland, centerpieces and wreaths.

Another great characteristic is that the southern magnolia rarely needs pruning, and has few pest and disease issues. As long as the tree has room to grow it can be a nice specimen in the southern landscape.

Be sure to come visit the park while they are in bloom and enjoy their delicious fragrance before it is too late. If you have any questions about the park or what is in bloom, please give us a call at 704-638-4459 or contact us on Facebook or Instagram @HurleyParkNC. If you would like to donate to Hurley Park, visit our website at https://salisburync.gov/Government/Parks-and-Recreation/Parks/Hurley-Park.

For more information on growing your own southern magnolia visit: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/magnolia-grandiflora/