November 30, 2012
Magnolia Tree Planting is Part of Ongoing Horticultural Activities at the National Gallery of Art
Magnolia 'Jane' in bloom, replacing prior magnolia trees at National Gallery of Art
Photograph: Education and Visitor Services Unit
U.S. National Arboretum, Washington, DC 20002
Washington, DC—During November the National Gallery of Art replaced 50 Magnolia soulangiana trees that have flanked the Fourth Street Plaza of the West Building since 1978, when the East Building opened to the public. New magnolia trees of the 'Jane' hybrid from the mountains of western North Carolina were hand selected by Cynthia Kaufmann, chief of horticulture services.
'Jane' is a cross between M. liliiflora 'Nigra' and M. stellata 'Rosea'. It is part of the Little Girl series ('Ann', 'Betty', 'Jane', 'Judy', 'Pinkie', 'Randy', 'Ricki', and 'Susan') of hybrid magnolias that were developed at the National Arboretum in the mid-1950s by Francis DeVos and William Kosar. The genus name honors French botanist Pierre Magnol (1638–1715).
The slow-growing, deciduous shrub or small tree typically grows to a height of 10 to 15 feet and a width of 8 to 12 feet. Plants in this series flower about two to four weeks later than the Magnolia soulangiana, thus reducing the risk of damage to flowers from late spring frosts. Sporadic reblooming may occur in midsummer. Ovate leaves (to 6 inches long) emerge with copper-red tints in spring, turn dark green by late spring, and acquire yellow to bronze-copper tones in fall.
The National Gallery of Art's horticulture services division enhances the visitor's experience by providing an inviting exterior landscape and an inspiring interior plantscape to complement the Gallery's collections, exhibitions, and programs. The West Building, which opened in 1941, was conceived by architect John Russell Pope with gardens as an important part of the design. The East and West Garden Courts are permanent interior gardens, while the exterior fountains, shrubbery, and other plantings were designed and selected to focus and enhance approaches to the building. In May 1999, the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden opened. Designed by Laurie D. Olin, the 6.5-acre outdoor garden sets large works of sculpture amid canopy trees (Native American species), flowering trees, shrubs, ground covers, and perennials.
Flowering plants have been on view in the National Gallery of Art since it opened to the public. Dramatic, sometimes exotic, floral arrangements welcome visitors at museum entrances, while a variety of displays grace the West Building Rotunda and East and West Garden Courts throughout the year. March in the Rotunda features the renowned, historic Ames-Haskell Azalea Collection, given to the Gallery by Allen C. Haskell of New Bedford, Massachusetts, in honor of the museum's 50th anniversary in 1991. And in December, a festive array of red and white poinsettias, white hydrangeas, orchids, and eight fir trees trimmed with sparkling white lights mark the holiday season in the Rotunda and Garden Courts.
# # #
