“After April Showers ~ Tufted Titmice,” an original painting copyright Susan A. Walton, S. A. Walton Studio, Hudson, Florida.

Here are a little trio of Tufted Titmice, a common songbird species native to eastern North America, actively exploring an old-fashioned garden favorite, a species of magnolia introduced from China generations ago. In fact, this particular tree grew in my mother’s yard near St. Louis, and it seemed to always have birds in it, of one kind or another, year round. This is a deciduous magnolia, quite different in habitat and size from the big native evergreen magnolias of the South, and is sometimes subject to hard freezes when blooming, which turns the flowers brown. But in mild years, it’s bold pink and white blooms are certainly a welcome and cheerful sight.

Unlike the ornamental Callery pear, this imported magnolia doesn’t seem to be invasive, so it remains a popular little tree in the Midwest.

If I had to choose between the two, the magnolia would win, hands down, for several reasons. One, it is a much easier tree to care for, seldom if ever requiring pruning because its branches are better spaced, better angled, and rarely cross. Limb breakage in storms is minimal. Second, it has a much more graceful and interesting form. Third, it doesn’t stink, as ornamental pears do. Fourth, the magnolia isn’t a threat to the ecosystem, as it doesn’t spread. Fifth, though small, its vaselike shape makes for a nice little shady spot to sit under when admiring your garden in the summer. Six, it is open enough for birds to fly into, and through- while ornamental pear is so crowded that it is more of an obstacle. You are more likely to see a trio of titmice happily flitting about in a magnolia, of course, and that will make your day.

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