Magnolias in Palmyra

Pink Magnolia Tree in full bloom in front of Zion Episcopal Church in Palmyra .

I am pretty sure Magnolia Trees are the official tree of the whole South, and while there are varients that will grow here in Upstate New York, there are other flowering trees that are better suited to handle Upstate New York’s fickle springs.

Pink magnolia bloom lit up by the sun, limestone church building in the background.

Magnolias often bloom well before the last frost in Upstate New York, which is generally around Mother’s Day. A hard frost is not likely to kill a magnolia tree, but flower buds and petals may be damaged or destroyed. Damaged flower buds could dry up and fail to bloom, and flowering could be stunted all over the tree for the remainder of the season. Which makes a magnolia tree in Upstate New York so special.

Pink Magnolia bloosoms on a branch in front on the cross of the Zion Episcopal Church in Palmyra

When the magnolia does bloom the entire tree becomes a canopy of large pink-and-white flowers, that are much bigger than those of other flowering trees.

Not only is the pink magnolia tree breathtakingly beautiful when it is in full bloom, but the tree at Zion Church in Palmyra has the added benefit of the lovely Episcopal church made of Medina sandstone with limestone trim as a neighbor.