I grew up with a saucer magnolia tree in the backyard of my Iowa home. I have memories of climbing into that tree surrounded by the fragrant blossoms every spring. I’ve always wanted to grow one in my own yard but I never did.

Last year I decided it was finally time to grow my own. I wondered if they would survive the Minnesota winter but then I saw one growing on one of the streets in my town. So I ordered two seedlings from the Arbor Day Foundation in March 2023. Imagine my confusion when in June they sent me a box with five lilac bushes in it. I called them and asked why they sent the wrong plants and they said, “Oh, sorry. We’ll send the right ones in our next shipment.” When is that? November. Yeah. So I canceled my membership and said “forget it.”

This year. My birthday rolled around and I wondered if I could give it another try. So I went on Amazon and found a company selling saucer magnolia saplings. I paid $38 for one sapling which arrived a week later. Given that we were selling our house, I bought a planter and dirt to put it in. If I had planted the tree in my yard, I would have had to leave it when we moved. So when we moved we took the magnolia with us.

It has not been growing as fast as I expected. Recently we got a puppy, and I wanted to check the plants around my house to make sure they aren’t toxic to dogs (a few are, and we’re dealing with them), so I downloaded an app that scans plants, identifies them, and gives you all sorts of info on them. Imagine my surprise when I scanned my “saucer magnolia” and discovered that I had been sent a “lily magnolia.” What’s the difference?

A saucer magnolia grows 20 to 25 feet high and wide with an upright, broad, pyramidal form. The late blooming flowers are cup-shaped and rosy-pink with a white interior and have a sweet fragrance. A lily magnolia grows 8-12 feet high. The flowers are large pink to purple, and I have no idea what they smell like, because I’ve never had one.

I’ve contacted the company about the problem, but since I’ve just now discovered the error, they aren’t required to do anything about it. Let’s see if they make it right.