Source: Fast-Growing-Trees.com (SC)
Size shipped: 4-5', potted
Planted: In ground, April 2019
First flowering: At the nursery
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(This plant stayed behind when I moved in 2021; therefore, the following text will receive no further updates.)
Arrived with a fallen flower or two in the box; took a while to get over the transplant and look healthy again, but it eventually did. Mixed Espoma Holly-tone into the soil on planting. Discovered that the soil in the relevant section of the yard is more clay than anything, so we planted it higher than the surrounding grass -- the mulch forms a bit of a mound (so does the soil underneath) but still doesn't come up to the trunk of course. The mulch used was pine bark -- I had forgotten how fragrant pines can be.
The nursery clearly was not training this Jane to be a tree; it had 2-3 significantly developed lower limbs that I removed completely in winter 2020 and sat in water inside to force the flowers, which succeeded quite well -- the smell is pretty nice. It will be interesting to see if the somewhat curved central trunk will stand up well when I try to channel most of the new growth into it.
July 2019 saw this Jane rebloom, something I wasn't expecting for its first year with us. There were only a few flowers at any given time, and they're much less impressive when surrounded by big green leaves (they get a bit lost), but it's still a sign that the Jane is happy.
Jane's spring 2020 bloom came in early April, but it wasn't anything to write home about due to the low quantity (as I had previously cut the lower branches and forced them inside, see above). I expect the blooms to be much later than that in most years, as winter 2020 was freakishly warm. 2020 reblooms began in (early) July just like in 2019, always a good sign; also a good sign is that Jane showed no signs of drought stress whatsoever through our rather dry June 2020, even with no supplemental watering at all and no new mulch.
Winter 2021 was not freakishly warm, and yet Jane bloomed again in early- to mid-April, which makes me wonder if the March weather (the only month that could be said to be materially warmer than normal) is the main determinant of bloom time for this one. It was a bit odd, because Jane hit peak bloom right around the same time as all the saucer magnolias in the neighbourhood, but the whole point of the 'Girl' series (including 'Jane') was to bloom later than other common deciduous magnolias and thus avoid having the blooms ruined by late frosts.