Magnolias, other flowering trees in bloom across the metro-east

A tree with pink and purple globe-shaped flowers made Gary Popp take a second look.

“The magnolia doesn’t get any better than that,” he said. “Those magnolias are just gorgeous. It’s at the height of its bloom. There are different varieties of magnolia. Each has a different bloom time.”

It was Easter Monday and Gary’s kingdom was a colorful place to be. The superintendent of Lake View Memorial Gardens in Fairview Heights credits Jim Hopfinger, his predecessor, with its botanical diversity.

“Through his leadership and skills, we have more kinds of plants in the cemetery than just about anywhere around,” said Gary, 60, who has a degree in horticulture from Southwestern Illinois College. “The only other place that has more plant material is (Missouri) Botanical Garden in St. Louis.”

The collection of more than 400 species is impressive enough that there’s a nature trail for students and scouts to walk. There’s even a nature walk patch that Lake View gives out.

Right now, it’s the flowering trees that vie for attention. Along a cemetery road, a pair of magnolias bloomed white on the left; pink on the right. A small peach tree held its own. Clusters of tight pink flowers with deep red centers hugged its branches.

“You see little splashes of color all over the place, like an artist painting a picture,” said Gary. He and wife Mary, who live in Millstadt, have three daughters and six grandchildren. “Jim did a wonderful job of balancing size, texture and colors. “This is the pick time. A lot aren’t in full bloom yet.”

Enjoy them while you can.

“An individual tree may only be in bloom for a week or two,” said Gary, “depending on the weather. Of course, if they were in bloom all the time, they wouldn’t be so special.”

The flowers serve a purpose beyond their beauty.

“The flower is part of the reproduction system of the plant,” said Gary. “What the plant is doing is, it is producing something that looks attractive for insects to come and pollinate ... make new seed. Some insects are attracted by color; others, smell. Some flowers, the smell is not pleasant at all. What it’s trying to do is attract flies to pollinate.”

Gary has been interested in nature since he was a kid.

“My grandfather (Charles Hopfinger) worked at Valhalla (Gardens of Memory in Belleville). I would go to work with Grandpa. I was always around the trees and flowers. I would walk through and wonder what those trees are. One day, I decided I was going to go to school and figure out what they are so I could walk through and know.”

Gary worked at Valhalla before taking a job at Lake View five years ago.

“A cemetery is like a small city,” he said. “I am the operating engineer. I take care of the power, electric lights, building, statues, stairs, stones — anything you can think of. We maintain roads, repair potholes and take care of equipment. We have a lot of equipment.”

Lake View Memorial Gardens dates back to the 1950s.

“We just had our 54th Easter sunrise service,” Gary said. “We were here at 4 a.m. setting up chairs. There were 150 here yesterday. Most brought their blankets along.”

Want to add a flowering tree or bush to your landscape? Here are a few to consider.

▪  Star Magnolia: “It’s the one that always tells you spring is coming,” said Gary. “It’s the first one to bloom out, a very early bloomer. A lot of times, you don’t get to experience the plant in full bloom because the flowers usually get taken down by frost. Usually when the star is done the others come in. This year, they’re all blooming at the same time.”

▪  Magnolias: They like a sunny location, or a partly sunny spot in hot areas, with soil that drains well. Allow room for the magnolia to spead. Different varieties bloom at different times. Flowers are goblet-shaped and have a sweet fragrance. Effinger Garden Center in Belleville recommends the Jane or Ann varieties that are a deciduous shrub form and flower for a few weeks. They’re a lot tougher than wax magnolias.

▪  Forsythia: “It’s an old standby and will spread out,” said Gary, of the cheery yellow bush that’s one of the earliest spring bloomers. “If its limbs touch the ground, it will produce suckers.” The fast-growing bush adds 1 or 2 feet in height each year. Should you prune it or leave it natural? Depends on where you’ve planted the bush and how you want it to look. If grown as a hedgerow, or along foundations, pruning maintains a neat and orderly appearance.

▪  Ornamental Cherry: They’re grown for the beauty of their flowers, not for any type of edible cherry, said Gary. Blossoms begin white, then take on a pale pink cast before leafing out. Most bloom for several days, depending on the weather. Cool, calm weather can extend the duration. A rainy, windy day can bring an abrupt end to the blossoms. Japanese cherry trees reach 25 to 50 feet tall with a canopy spreading up to 40 feet wide. Plant these trees as a focal point in the middle of a yard. “When you get these trees from a nursery, they are already 7 or 8 years old and are acclimated to living in a field,” Gary said. “There may be a slight variation in color among the different trees, but you would have to be a botanist to see a difference.”

▪  Redbuds: These native trees are just starting to bloom with small lavender-pink to rosy purple flowers on branches, and even the main trunk. Plant during cool, rainy weather. Redbuds are an understory tree. They like to be tucked under the shade of a big tree. They grow no more than 20 feet tall at the most, Gary said.

▪  Weeping Redbud: The tree grows in a spreading mound shape up to 10 feet tall and wide, with long, cascading branches that can sweep the ground. The tree requires minimal pruning during winter dormancy to nurture young branches and maintain a rounded, weeping form. It’s a very ornamental tree, a slow grower, Gary said. The weeping and contorted trees catch your eye because they’re different.

▪  Dogwood: Snow white dogwood blossoms transform the landscape. Woodland edges spring to life when they bloom. Birds find shelter and nesting sites in its branches. A challenge? Deciding where to plant them. “Dogwoods like to be under the canopy of other trees. They like to be in the shade.” Gary said a dogwood prefers to be under a redbud.

▪  Crabapple: They’re just starting to bloom. Choose from white, pink or red-flowering varities. The small trees grow in sunny gardens, hardy and reliable. When they bloom, bees and other pollinators make the trees buzz with life. Most grow 15 to 25 feet tall. Effinger’s likes the Royal Raindrops variety.

This story was originally published March 31, 2016 at 7:38 AM with the headline "Magnolias, other flowering trees in bloom across the metro-east."