(📸: Xi Xin Xing)
Magnolias have been with us a very long time. In fact, humanoids and these flowering trees share 90 million years of existence, dating back to the Cretaceous Period, a time when dinosaurs such as Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus still roamed the planet. So, if you find yourself admiring a magnolia in full bloom, perhaps that reverence is more primal in nature than you may realize.
(📸: Public Domain)
Modern magnolia breeding began with the French in the early 1800s when Etienne Soulange-Boudin crossed Magnolia denudata with M. liliiflora to create the Saucer Magnolia or M. x soulangeana. This was the origin of serious Magnolia breeding, which accelerated as plant collectors sought out new species of the family Magnoliaceae, of which there are over 200 worldwide to date. Needless to say, that gives us a lot of genetic material to create bigger and brighter blooms and modern plant breeders have not disappointed. With that in mind, here are ten magnificent Magnolias for you to consider for your own garden.
Magnolia ‘Elizabeth’
Here’s a variety that is as elegant as her namesake, bearing abundant pale-yellow blooms from March to April. These are quite fragrant and appear just as the leaves unfurl. She was introduced by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and was created by crossing Magnolia acuminata and M. denudata. ‘Elizabeth’ is a bit larger than some of the other yellow magnolias, but her floriferous nature more than makes up for it.
Grows 20-35’ tall by 12-20’ wide.
Hardy to USDA zone 5.
Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’
(📸: Heritage Seedlings)
The rich black-purple goblet-shaped blooms of this cultivar are considered some of the darkest available due to the thickness of the petals. The flowers are up to 6” across and quite fragrant, which are hard to come by on compact magnolias that suit smaller urban spaces. This variety of Magnolia x soulangeana has the very popular ‘Vulcan’ as the seed parent and was bred in New Zealand.
Grows 10-15’ tall by 8-10’ wide.
Hardy to USDA zone 5.
Magnolia cylindrica ‘Marilyn’s Choice’
(📸: Heritage Seedlings)
This cultivar of a Chinese species has a unique columnar form, making it useful in narrow beds or tight spaces. It begins bearing blooms at a young age, producing fragrant creamy-white upright flowers with a contrasting rosy-pink base before the foliage emerges. The erect branching habit also holds up well to adverse weather such as heavy snow and ice.
Grows 15-25’ tall and 5-8’ wide.
Hardy to USDA zone 5.
Magnolia x soulangeana ‘Alexandrina’
(📸: Berthold Werner - Wikimedia)
A very old Saucer Magnolia variety that dates back to 1831 in France and still remains popular to this day. The large (up to 8” wide) purplish-pink fragrant blooms have darker bases and are borne in abundance from March to April on a rounded tree that grows as wide as it does tall. Autumn tones of golden-yellow also add to its appeal.
Grows 20-25’ tall and wide.
Hardy to USDA zone 5.
Magnolia grandiflora ‘Kay Parris’
(📸: Dave the Mage - Wikimedia)
We are at the very northern range for Evergreen Magnolia but when they find that ideal sunny, sheltered location, they can get quite large and overbearing. This newer hybrid of ‘Little Gem’ and ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty’ is more compact, and cold hardy than the other species. Expect glossy evergreen foliage with a contrasting orange-brown reverse and very fragrant white blooms all summer long, from June to September.
Grows 15-20’ tall by 8-10’ wide.
Hardy to USDA zone 6.
Magnolia x loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’
A lovely Star Magnolia which bears hundreds of 4”-wide pale pink strap-like flowers from March to April. These are wonderfully fragrant and never bothered by late frosts, covering shrub-like tree entirely from top to bottom. This hybrid of Magnolia kobus and M. stellata ‘Rosea’ is easily contour pruned after flowering to keep it in bounds.
Grows 10-15’ tall by 8-10’ wide.
Hardy to USDA zone 5.
Magnolia ‘Genie’
Another compact cultivar suitable for small courtyards or urban entrance gardens. ‘Genie’ produces lightly fragrant maroon-purple flowers that emerge from reddish-black buds. It repeat-blooms in late summer and grows with a distinct pyramidal form. This variety can also be planted in large containers.
Grows 10-15’ tall by 8-10’ wide.
Hardy to USDA zone 5.
Magnolia ‘Sunsation’
A real breakthrough in yellow magnolias as ‘Sunsation’ opens later and bears large (up to 7” across) bright yellow flowers beautifully accented with rosy-pink basal flares that streak the petals. The pyramidal growth habit also makes it easier to place in smaller landscapes.
Grows 15-25’ tall by 10’ wide.
Hardy to USDA zone 5.
Magnolia x wiseneri ‘Swede Made’
(📸: Wibbly Wibby - Wikimedia)
This hybrid of Magnolia sieboldii and M. obovata, two Japanese species, opens from egg-shaped buds to pure white petals accented with a showy boss of crimson-red stamens. These flowers are large (6-8” wide), extremely fragrant, and borne from May to June, repeat blooming throughout the summer.
Grows 15-25’ tall by 12-20’ wide.
Hardy to USDA zone 6.
Magnolia ‘Felix’
(📸: Heritage Seedlings)
If you are one of those demanding gardeners that wants big, showy blooms on a compact tree, then you’re in luck. ‘Felix’ bears 12-inch-wide hot-pink blooms from late winter into early spring. Mature trees will produce upwards of a hundred flowers before the leaves emerge, so this variety is truly ‘the big wow’.
Grows 10-15’ tall by 8-10’ wide.
Hardy to USDA zone 5.
In the near future you can expect all of these varieties, as well as many more, available on the Amsterdam Garden Centre website for presale and pick-up the following spring.
All images Copyright 2024 MK Lascelle, except those already credited.
