Magnolia Grandiflora or Southern Magnolia

Coming from The Netherlands it is quite different in climate and for having already warm days in May, with many exotic looking flowers in the wild, was quite a discovery.

Here I am on a Sunday, end of May, 1984 holding up a HUGE Magnolia Grandiflora or Southern Magnolia.

Also I'm holding a branch of Lonicera japonica Thunb. or Japanese honeysuckle that has been introduced to North America in 1806 in Long Island, NY.

Now it is a national invasive species!

In the spring, even when driving by car, you still do pick up the sweet scent of its fragrant flowers.

Trumpet Vine or Campsis radicans

Another exotic looking discovery in May of 1984, our very first spring down in Georgia, USA

We discovered this exotic looking Trumpet Vine or Campsis radicans when coming out of Mass and snipped off some flowers for a photo, to send to our Parents in The Netherlands.
Pieter's Mom was still alive at that time... Every Sunday I wrote her a letter about the week's events.
Yes, it is a native vine here and attracts hummingbirds!
It can become invasive though as its many suckers grow very fast and also its seeds will grow up again.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture lists the vine as an invasive weed...
To us it was a new, exotic discovery!

Poncirus trifoliata or Japanese bitter-orange

Sure enough when immigrating to another continent, you want to explore your new surroundings...

We usually did so on a Sunday, afternoons as we would drive around and look what all was growing in our area.

Here, Pieter is holding a little branch from a tree that we were puzzled by.

It turned out to be a Poncirus trifoliata or Japanese bitter-orange.

Mean thorns and tiny green fruits as it was May 24, 1984.

Many more things to be discovered...