Portland Nursery Portland Nursery

MAGNOLIA HYBRIDS

‘Ann’ – M. stellata ‘Rosea’ x M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’ – Purple tulip flowers bloom just after Star Magnolias in spring and repeat bloom in late summer. Deciduous.
Slow-growing shrubby form to 10’ tall x 12’ wide – likes sun to part shade, Z5

M. 'Black Tulip'‘Black Tulip’ – M. ‘Vulcan’ x M. ‘Iolanthe’ – Dark wine red goblet shaped flowers are the same color inside and out. Flowers open in early spring before foliage appears. Deciduous.
Grows to 15-20’ tall x 6-10’ wide – likes full sun to part shade, Z5
‘Butterflies’ – M. acuminata ‘Fertile’ x M. denudata ‘Sawada’s Cream’ - Considered by many to be one of the best yellow magnolias. Many lemon yellow flowers appear in spring before foliage. Deciduous. Upright pyramidal form.
Grows to 20’ x 20’, likes sun to part shade, Z4
‘Elizabeth’ – M. acuminata x M. denudata – Pale yellow flowers w/ the outermost petals tinged green open before leaves arrive in spring. Deciduous. Sterile, so no seed pods develop on tree. Upright oval to pyramidal shape, 25-30’ tall, 12-15’ wide. Likes sun to part shade, Z5
‘Galaxy’ – M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’ x M. sprengeri var. Diva – Dark purple buds, petals purple on the outside, lighter pink to white inside. Flowers are up to 9” across. Deciduous.
Grows to 25-30’ tall x 15-20’ wide, likes full sun to part shade, Z5
M. 'Heaven Scent'‘Heaven Scent’ – M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’ x M. veitchii – Pink vase-shape flowers w/ dark pink base and stripe – very fragrant as the name infers. Blooms into May as leaves appear. Deciduous. Grows to 15-20’ tall, likes sun to part shade, Z6
M. 'Jane'‘Jane’ – M. stellata ‘Waterlily’ x M. liliiflora ‘Reflorescens’ – Reddish purple buds open to pink flowers, lighter on the inside than outside. Flowers open over a long period of time. Deciduous. Grows to 15’ tall x 15’ wide – likes sun to part shade, Z5
M. 'Sayonara'‘Sayonara’ – M. liliiflora x M. veitchii – White globe-shape flowers with a hint of pink at the base of each petal. Blooms early, in March-April. Deciduous.
Upright habit, growing to 30’ tall x 20’ wide. Likes sun to part shade, Z6
‘Susan’ – M. stellata ‘Rosea’ x M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’ – Very dark red/purple buds and flowers bloom in April. Deciduous. Shrubby habit, grows to 10-15’ tall & wide. Likes sun to part shade. Z5
M. 'Vulcan'‘Vulcan’ – M. ‘Lanarth’ x M. liliiflora – A truly magnificent flower. Color drenched dark red to purple petals make huge 10 inch flowers with wavy edges. ‘Vulcan’ blooms at a young age, but flowers may not take on their full color for a few years. Deciduous. Upright w/ open branching habit,. Grows to 20’ tall x 15’ wide. Likes sun to part shade, Z6

 

SPECIES MAGNOLIA

M. denudata – Yulan Magnolia  Native to central Asia - In earliest spring, white to ivory fragrant flowers open as goblet shape & spread given time. Cylindrical fruit turns red at maturity. Deciduous. Grows to 30-40’ tall. Likes sun to part shade, Z5

M. 'Grandiflora'M. grandiflora – Southern Magnolia Native to SE United States from N. Carolina to Texas.

Huge white flowers with waxy thick petals bloom sporadically from May through summer. Their scent is strong, clean and fruity. Seed pods form following flowers. Large dark green glossy foliage has a fuzzy cinnamon color reverse. Leaves shed year-round, but the tree is never without foliage. Trees prefer full sun & are hardy in Z6.

Many cultivated varieties are currently in production.

  • ‘Alta’ – 20’ x 9’ in 10 years. Leaves point upward so the velvety brown reverse shows.
  • ‘Edith Bogue’ – 35’ x 20’
  • ‘Little Gem’ – 20’ x 10’ with smaller leaves than other varieties.
  •  ‘St. Mary’ – 20’ x 20’

 

M. kobus – Native to Japan – White star flowers, 4” across with light fragrance and pink blush at the base of each petal. It blooms in April, before leaves appear, and waits until it is 15 years old to produce its first set of flowers. Deciduous. Grows to 30’ x 20’ – sun, part shade Z5
M. loebneri Loebner Magnolia - A group of hybrids between M. kobus x M. stellata. We carry the cultivar ‘Leonard Messel’. Fuchsia purple buds open to pink star flowers in early spring. Buds are frost resistant. Deciduous with some gold to bronze fall color. We’ve found differing reports on full height. One source reports 15’, another 25’. Sun, part shade Z5
M. macrophylla

M. macrophylla – Big Leaf Magnolia Native to SE United States from Ohio to Florida, Arkansas to Louisiana, usually in isolated populations – Huge leaves from 12” to 30” long, 6” to 12” wide are spring green on top and frosty gray underneath. June flowers are large, cup shape, creamy white and fragrant. Blooms at 15 years, but is worth the wait. Native habitat is shady and moist but it will adapt to sunnier and drier locations. Z5 (Photo courtesy Oregon State University).

M. sieboldii – Oyama Magnolia  Native to Japan – Sparkling white sweetly fragrant flowers w/ rose pink stamens bloom in May and June. Pink seed pods form in summer. Deciduous leaves turn yellow before falling in October. Grows in an upright vase shape to 10-15’ tall and wider. This Magnolia is perfectly suited to a woodland garden or planted as an under story tree with dappled light. All-day sun is OK, but will require extra water to keep leaves from burning. Z6
M. 'Soulangiana'M. soulangiana – Saucer or Tulip Magnolia  Saucer Magnolia is a hybrid of M. denudata and M. liliiflora first developed in France in 1826. It is named for Etiene Soulange Boudin who raised the original seedling. Flowers appear in early spring and resemble saucers. Fat petals tinged rose pink or purple at the base surround pink stamens and exude a sweet clean fragrance. Green leaves turn gold and brown before falling in autumn. Brown seed pods persist and when opened reveal bright red seeds. Growth habit is upright in youth, developing a broad round head with heavy spreading branches. Trees are mature at 15’, but can grow larger, up to 30’ over time. Full sun, Z5
M. stellata M. stellata – Star Magnolia Native to Japan where it has been cultivated for three centuries. Fuzzy gray buds open to star-shaped fragrant white flowers with 12-18 petals in earliest spring. Plants as young as 2-3 years produce flowers. Leaves are green and deciduous. Matures at 10-15’ tall & wide. Prefers shade in the afternoon & moist humus rich soil. Z5
  • ‘Rosea’ – Pink flowers!
M. stellata 'Centennial'M. stellata 'Centennial'
Buds are tinged pink, flowers open white. This variety is very floriferous..
M. stellata 'Royal Star'M. stellata 'Royal Star'
White flowers have up to 25 petals.
M. virginiana – Sweet Bay Magnolia Native to the US east coast from Massachusetts to Florida and Texas near the coast. Creamy white lemon-scented flowers in late spring to early fall. Leaves are evergreen in mild areas, often deciduous in Portland’s windy areas. One of the few plants to thrive in swampy wet areas! Likes sun to part shade & acidic soil. Z5

 

Photo credits: Monrovia, Doreen Wynja

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Magnolia 'Leonard Messel'

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FACTS: MAGNOLIA

Family: Magnoliaceae

Genus: Magnolia - Named for Pierre Magnolia (1638-1715), Professor of Botany and Director of Montpellier Botanic Gardens in France

Common: Magnolia

Origin: East Asia, Himalayas, North and Central America

Characteristics: About 125 species of deciduous or evergreen trees or shrubs. Flowers are large and often scented, coming in white, yellow, pink and purple. Flower buds are covered in gray fuzz. Leaves are alternate or clustered appearing as if whorled around the branch.

Size:  Size varies per variety and ranges between 6’ tall and 35’ tall.

Light:  Afternoon shade is preferred for many species but not all.  In Portland, Southern Magnolias are best with full sun and plenty of heat.

Culture:  Moist well-drained slightly acidic soil is preferred by most.  None of the Magnolias are particularly drought tolerant. Even for established plants, a few deep drinks in summer is a good idea. Trees planted in hot afternoon sun need extra water to prevent leaf scorch.

Hardiness:  Cold tolerance varies per species between Zones 4 and 8.  Portland residents are fortunate to live in a climate mild enough to grow most Magnolias successfully.

Late frosts may damage flower buds causing some browning but usually frosts do not prohibit bloom. Cold winters may damage leaves on evergreen varieties, but bad weather does not typically cause death.

Disease:  Magnolias are susceptible to several insects including aphids and scale, but neither represents a large problem in Portland.  Powdery mildew can be problematic on some varieties.