Subject: Question about MAGNOLIA "BETTY"

From: @ils.nwu.edu (Sandra Burke)
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 10:50:06 -0600

I visited my local hardware story this morning and found they had Magnolia
"Betty..." for sale.  Has anyone had experience with this Magnolia.  I am
in Zone 5 and wondering how it would do here.  How tall and wide does it
grow - any info would help - thanks in advance.

---

From: Don Martinson <[email-masked]>
Date: 31 Mar 1995 20:21:17 GMT

> grow - any info would help - thanks in advance.

There is a variety of Magnolia grandiflora known as Bracken's Brown
Betty and has the distinction of being one of the hardier varieties 
of this species - was there a species designation on it?  My reference
says this species can get up to 90 ft tall, but I'm sure it would be
considerably smaller up here in the midwest.  If it is this plant, 
could you tell me where it is for sale.  I live not too far away
(Milwaukee) and might be interested in picking one up for myself.
P.S.  Your post listed your e-mail simply as:    @ils.nwu.edu
Is this correct?

Don Martinson
[email-masked]

---

From: Susan Sanders <[email-masked]>
Date: 3 Apr 1995 20:55:50 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> Kris
Benarcik, [email-masked] writes:
>they should be fine for you.  Magnolia 'Betty will get to be about 10-15'
>tall and just as wide.  "She" has flowers deep purpley-red on the outside
>of the petals and white inside; as with most magnolias, these flowers are

(If you wouldn't mind answering another question . . . ) what is the
shape and size of the flowers?                           -Sue Sanders

---

From: [email-masked] (Kris Benarcik)
Date: 3 Apr 1995 14:53:02 GMT

> [email-masked]

Dear Sandra and Don- 

Magnolia 'Betty' is one of the "little girl" magnolia hybrids ( some of the
others in the group are 'Ann', 'Susan', 'Jane,...).  These magnolias are
from crosses between Magnolia stellata 'Rosea', the star magnolia and
Magnolia liliiflora, the lily magnolia.  The original breeding work was
done at the National Arboretum in the 1950s.  They flower a bit later than
the earliest of the magnolias and usually escape frost here.  They have
successfully flowered at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in zone 3, so
they should be fine for you.  Magnolia 'Betty will get to be about 10-15'
tall and just as wide.  "She" has flowers deep purpley-red on the outside
of the petals and white inside; as with most magnolias, these flowers are
fragrant.  We have the entire collection of "little girls" here at the
Scott Arboretum and they are indeed charming plants.  They are unusual in
that they are branched very low with their lower branches actually touching
the ground.

As an aside, I would not recommend trying Magnolia grandiflora in zone 5;
here in zone 6 we still sometimes have problems with them....

Kris Benarcik
The Scott Arboretum

---

From: [email-masked] (Kris Benarcik)
Date: 4 Apr 1995 15:15:24 GMT

> shape and size of the flowers?                           -Sue Sanders

Sue-

The flowers of Magnolia 'Betty' are about three inches tall with 12-15
tepals.  They are very upright and vase-shaped, like those of Magnolia
liliiflora, rather than open like those of the star magnolia.  Our trees
are just about to open their buds; it is supposed to frost here tonight, so
please keep your fingers crossed for them.

Kris Benarcik

---

From: Susan Sanders <[email-masked]>
Date: 4 Apr 1995 17:31:32 GMT

In article <[email-masked]> Kris
>liliiflora, rather than open like those of the star magnolia.  Our trees

Thanks!  It sounds lovely.  The noon temp. here (SE Michigan) is 25 and
very windy, down from 30 at 7 a.m. and still falling; if this air mass is
headed your way like I'm afraid it might be, it may take more than finger
crossing to protect those buds, but I do hope they make it.														
-Sue Sanders

---

From: Susan Sanders <[email-masked]>
Date: 3 Apr 1995 20:55:50 GMT

---

From: [email-masked] (Kris Benarcik)
Date: 3 Apr 1995 14:53:02 GMT

Dear Sandra and Don- 

Kris Benarcik
The Scott Arboretum

---

From: [email-masked] (Kris Benarcik)
Date: 4 Apr 1995 15:15:24 GMT

Sue-

Kris Benarcik

---

From: Susan Sanders <[email-masked]>
Date: 4 Apr 1995 17:31:32 GMT

---

From: [email-masked] (Kris Benarcik)
Date: 4 Apr 1995 15:15:24 GMT

Sue-

Kris Benarcik

---

From: Susan Sanders <[email-masked]>
Date: 4 Apr 1995 17:31:32 GMT