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For many plant lovers, certainly the more obsessive among us, our plants are like our children. We care for them, watch them grow, wish for the best outcomes as they age, and hope they eventually reach a level of maturity where we can sit back and appreciate what they’ve become without requiring our daily guidance and intervention. Unlike with our children, however, it’s socially acceptable to have favorite plants. One of our favorites here at the Pitt County Arboretum is just about to do what it does best, bloom triumphantly and kick off spring! This favorite of ours is the ‘Butterflies’ magnolia, a deciduous, flowering tree with tulip-shaped, creamy-yellow blossoms. Why is this a favorite rather than any of the other multitudes of spring blooming magnolias? Well, they’re all great in their own ways, of course. Magnolia grandiflora, the Southern magnolia, is an iconic stately tree of the South, and gorgeous in bloom. However, its tremendous size (60-80’ tall) makes it difficult to fit into most modern landscapes. Some compact cultivars, such as ‘Little Gem,’ ‘Teddy Bear,’ and ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty,’ are more appropriately sized, but arguably none is as magnificent as a full-sized Southern magnolia. Magnolia stellata, the star magnolia, and Magnolia x soulangeana, the saucer magnolia, are both early bloomers that can be absolutely immaculate in full bloom. However, the tender flowers are extremely cold-sensitive, and are often damaged by cold temperatures, greatly diminishing their ornamental value. 
Top photo in middle: 'Butterflies' magnolia trees in bloom. Blossoms come out in mid-March and last for about 10-14 days. Photo: A. Stidham, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Above-left photo: Leaf arrangement. M. Hansen, CC-BY-SA 2.0 Above-right photo: Close-up of a 'Butterflies' magnolia flower. Photo: M. Hansen, CC-BY-SA 2.0 ‘Butterflies’ is a bit more cold-tolerant than the saucer and star magnolias. Thus, when ’butterflies’ blooms, the flowers are less likely to be damaged by ill-timed frosts. It’s also a more manageable size in the landscape than the Southern magnolia. The shape of the flowers is most similar to saucer magnolia, but the individual blooms are larger and slightly more open, creating a stunning visual impact. Flowers are lightly lemon-scented.
Here in the Arboretum, our specimen typically begins to bloom in mid-March, a week to ten days after Magnolia stellata. Bloom lasts about 10-14 days and is truly worth seeing. It appears on track to be in flower just in time for our first Northside Plant Walk of 2025, scheduled for today at 12 noon. Often ‘Butterflies’ will grow to a height of 15-20’ tall with a slightly lesser spread. Because our specimen is planted in close proximity to some other trees, it is slightly more shrub-like, wider than it is tall, but the flowering remains prolific. ‘Butterflies’ is a hybrid cross of parent plants Magnolia denudata ‘Sawada’s Cream’ and Magnolia acuminata ‘Fertile Myrtle.’ In addition to the flower shape and color, it inherits from its parents a large leaf with a distinctive shape. Each leaf is 6 inches long, and 3-6 inches wide, narrow at its base and widest close to the tip, with wavy margins. Though not as tall as a typical shade tree, the large leaves and density of the foliage can create a fair amount of shade. The leaves are not as thick and glossy as Southern magnolia leaves, so they decompose a bit quicker after falling and aren’t quite as messy. They also have a fairly attractive fall color, a pale-yellow, which is not a trait one normally associates with magnolias. All in all, ‘Butterflies’ does a lot to stand out and earn its distinction as one of our favorites. Matthew Stevens is the County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Pitt County Center. If you have questions about this article or gardening in general, please contact the Pitt County Extension Master Gardeners at [email protected] or 252-902-1705.
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For many years, all the children in my family were given amaryllis bulbs as Christmas gifts by my mother, and we’d rush to pot them and have a friendly contest to see whose bloomed first. Naturally, I used my green thumb to my advantage in these contests and often did fairly well, though there was never really any prize other than pride and bragging rights. Amaryllis bulbs (Hippeastrum sp.) are often sold with decorative pots for simple gifts during the Christmas season, sometimes as a to-be-assembled planting kit, and sometimes as potted plants that have been conditioned or forced to bloom for the season. The bulbs should be planted in a container with moist potting soil, with the shoulders of the bulb exposed. Keep them in a spot in the house that gets a good amount of natural light. As the first shoot emerges from the bulb, you may need to turn the pot occasionally to keep the stem growing straight and tall as it will have a tendency to lean towards a window or other light source. Water your amaryllis generously, but take care not to let the soil get overly soggy. Normally, it will bloom 6-10 weeks after planting. If you’re reading this now and you received an Amaryllis bulb at Christmastime, you’ve hopefully already planted it and maybe by now even had a bloom. Perhaps now you’re wondering what comes next. Although these plants bring us color in December and the early weeks of the new year, often times we’re not sure what to do with them after they’ve bloomed and they may even end up in the trash. However, there’s no reason not to hang on to them and allow them to bring joy the following year.
Above left: Amaryllis plants are often given as gifts, to be grown indoors. Read on for how you can plant them outdoors after they’ve bloomed, and get blooms year after year. Middle photo: 'Aphrodite' has double-blooming white flowers with pink and red feathering. Above right: 'Green goddess’ Amaryllis has white petals with green centers. Despite being native to more temperate climates in Central and South America, and frequently being treated as a houseplant here, amaryllis bulbs are actually cold hardy perennials, not only in zone 8a of Pitt County, but in colder climates to zone 7a. If you plant them outdoors in the proper spot and treat them with proper, yet fairly minimal care, they will return year after year in your landscapes. Here’s how to make that happen. Once the amaryllis blossoms begin to fade, remove them individually from the flower stalks. Cut back the stalks when all flowers have faded. Water the plant just often enough to keep the soil slightly moist, and apply a light fertilizer once a month until spring. In mid to late April, after the threat of frost has passed, you can plant your Amaryllis bulb in a sunny spot in the garden. They prefer organic soils that are well-drained. Like many large, summer blooming bulbs, they don’t like to be wet during the winter, so be sure not to plant them in any spots where water might accumulate and linger during the colder months. It may take some time for your bulb to acclimate to its new surroundings, and it might not even bloom the first year outdoors, but will provide spectacular summer color once established.  ‘Voodoo’ amaryllis have red petals with yellow streaks. Photo: C. DeWitt, CC BY 4.0 Amaryllis are in the Amaryllidaceae, or lily, family and have a recognizable lily-like flower and long slender leaves. Although many think of amaryllis blooms as being red, there are many cultivars that express different colors and color combinations. Some of the more notable include ‘Aphrodite’- double blooming white with pink and red feathering, ‘Minerva’- red petals with a central white star, ‘Apple Blossom’- white petals with pink feathering, ‘Green Goddess’- white petals with green centers, ‘Voodoo’- red petals with yellow streaks, and ‘Orange Sovereign’- yes, you guessed, it, orange petals. Some of these colors may not be as popular as Christmas gifts, but can often be purchased from bulb suppliers.
Matthew Stevens is the County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Pitt County Center. If you have questions about this article or gardening in general, please contact the Pitt County Extension Master Gardeners at [email protected] or 252-902-1705. |
Matt Stevens
Pitt County Extension Director & Horticulture Agent Archives
March 2025
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