Cowcumber Calcumber Conundrum

The mystery of the Calcumber is now solved!  It is spelled, Cowcumber.

It is Magnolia macrophylla .  Commonly called "Bigleaf Magnolia" and "Cowcumber Magnolia".  "Great-Leaved Magnolia", "Silver Leaf Magnolia" and "Big Bloom Magnolia".

The first and second picture were taken the day the bloom was cut in Taylorsville.

Lots of fascinating facts about the Cowcumber here.  Apparently it is slow to grow, temperamental, with frail foilage.  I may have had the spelling wrong, but it is part of the genus Magnolia.

According to Odenwald and Turner, 1996,  there are some spectacular specimens of Cowcumber Magnolia in Mississippi:

"Some magnificent sixty to seventy-five foot specimens of Magnolia macrophylla exist on bluffs along trails at Gloster Arboretum, Gloster, Mississippi."

(Odenwald, Neil and James Turner, 1996. Identification, Selection and Use of Southern Plants for Landscape Design. Claitor's Publishing, Baton Rouge, LA)

The second and third photos are from  the second day after the Cowcumber bloom was cut.

Ok, I am happy now.  Now my mission is to find a couple of trees to plant on the farm by next spring.   

Easter Egg Hunts come in all shapes and sizes!  *grin*

Comments

[april]

penny, there are a lot of these trees along Hwy 25 between Starkville and Hwy 15. The are not very large, but you can spot them by the silvery leaves amongst the other understory trees.

enjoy
--april

[Sarah]

Man, that is one gorgeous flower.