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Magnolia x brooklynensis 'Yellow Bird' ??

Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,154
in Plants
Last year as a birthday present I treated my wife to one of the above ;
Thompson & Morgan were offering 1.5m tall (approx.) plants for a very reasonable price .
Following an online order the said specimen arrived securely boxed and bare rooted ; my priority obviously was to get the plant established asap in a pot prior to planting in the garden .
Growth was as expected throughout the season , fairly good considering the plant had needed to generate a respectful root system before foliar-growth emerged .
Imagine my utter dismay when it decided to send out three PALE PURPLE (!) flowers in late Autumn !!!
Currently the buds appear normal so am hoping that event was just a temporary reversion .
I contacted T&M who were as baffled as myself ; they were good enough to send a refund .
Has anyone on the forum had a similar problem with these yellow-flowering hybrids ?
I'd be interested in hearing of others experiences .

Posts

  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    Weird..inclined to think labels got muddled.

    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    Yes, that was bad luck. A significant number of plants sold by mail order and in garden centres don't turn out to be what it says on the label. You do usually get your money back, thank heavens. Enjoy the purple one, they are lovely. Do you have room for a second try at the yellow?
  • Cambridgerose12Cambridgerose12 Posts: 1,134
    Thompson and Morgan are not good sources of plants. Seeds, yes, but their plants are not reliable. It’s better to be prepared to pay more but to a reputable nursery. I often use Burncoose for unusual shrubs. They specialise in magnolias, which may be of interest. But you should definitely ask for a refund from T&M.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    The nursery business always says that the customer prefers to buy plants that are already flowering. Is it any wonder?  At least you see what you are getting.  
  • Paul B3Paul B3 Posts: 3,154
    Thanks for the replies ; the buds this year look very different to last year ; will wait and see what happens .
    I don't normally buy online , and as stated above prefer to see what I'm getting .
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