73. Cucumber Tree

Tree Tour

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Head south towards Rainier Vista, but veer off on the path into the woods. As you enter the forest, left is a Pacific dogwood, right is its cousin, the Old World Cornus sanguinea. The forest is soon replaced by the Medicinal Herb Garden, where over on the Rainier Vista side are some giant Cucumber Trees above the bench. This species is a magnolia from eastern North America that grows as a forest tree. Its unripe seed-cones resemble small cucumbers. Its huge leaves are out when it begins opening its greenish-yellow flowers in May. The red seed-cones of autumn are pretty against the yellow leaves. No magnolia fall color is any better.

Pictured below: Map of geographical range of Cucumber Tree.

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