Like girls in prom dresses posing for pictures in their front yards, the Tulip Trees in Burton Valley are poised for photo ops. So walk, drive or bike – but hurry. If you want to bask in Burton Valley’s Tulip Tree glory, go this weekend. Rains are forecast for next week, and that will force petals to drop.

Tulip Tree is a more common name for Saucer Magnolias (Magnolia x Soulangeana). An early blooming deciduous tree, their blossoms are typically shades of white, pink and purple.

Have you seen Chloe’s Tree? Large and majestic in its current gown of pink blossoms, it humbly waits for passers-by on the quiet end of Silverado that rarely gets traffic, and so often goes unnoticed.

We love this tree – and the story of its name. The homeowners call it Chloe’s Tree because it blooms near their daughter’s birthday. Can you imagine the years of family photos as both she and the tree grow?

“I have always loved the Tulip Trees in Burton Valley,” says Dana Green, who grew up on Las Trampas Road. Dana planted a Tulip Tree in her Lafayette Woodlands yard a few years ago, but it’s not the same – at least not yet. “My Tulip Tree is only 5 feet tall at this point. The ones in Burton are mature and unbelievably beautiful.”

A mature Tulip Tree makes for a good story when it comes time for you to sell your home. A picture, though, will tell it better. If you have a Tulip Tree blooming in your yard, why not pull out your camera?  That way, when you do decide to sell your home, you’ll have more than a story about the beauty of a blossoming tree. You’ll have digital proof.