Hoyt Arboretum

We stopped by the Hoyt Arboretum recently to see their famous magnolia trees.  The Hoyt Arboretum is a short distance from the Oregon Zoo and Children's Museum, and claims more than 1,100 species of trees.   Magnolias are some of the very first flowering plants, and evolved even before bees, so they are pollinated by beetles.  The magnolias are a short walk behind the visitor's center, and maps are available inside to direct you there, or you can simply follow the signs.  On our visit, many of the white and pink varieties were blossoming magnificently, and the deep red magnolias were still budding.  The magnolias will likely be putting on a show for some weeks to come.  Hoyt Arboretum is not just a lovely place to see unusual non-native trees; it actually has a conservation mission.  Each species is carefully cultivated from wild-collected seeds, so that in the event that its kind should be threatened in its native habitat, seeds would be available.