MAGNIFICENT MAGNOLIAS

ith their big, bold blooms, magnolias make a truly spectacular – and often highly scented – floral display in spring and summer. Magnolias range in size from massive trees to compact shrubs, so you should be able to find a place for one in most gardens. Some are even petite enough to be grown in containers.

Magnolias are one of the oldest groups of flowering plants, and date back to long before bees first took to the air. Their magnificent blooms evolved to attract flightless beetles, and beetles remain the primary pollinators for most modern species.

Despite their ancient heritage, magnolias are very much at home in the contemporary garden. The commonly grown species are all reliably hardy and require no winter protection. That said, it’s sensible to position them in a sheltered spot to protect the flower buds, which are easily damaged by late frosts or bitter easterly winds. Most magnolias prefer full sun, but will also tolerate partial shade.

Once established, magnolias require little by way of maintenance. Pruning is seldom needed, but if you have to remove damaged or diseased wood, thin the crown or renovate an overgrown specimen, summer is the time to do it. Cuts made at other times of year are liable to bleed sap.

PRETTY IN PINK

Magnolia ‘Susan’ Magnolia ‘Susan’ is a hybrid whose parents are Magnolia liliiflora ‘Nigra’ and a pink cultivar of Magnolia stellata called Magnolia stellata ‘Rosea’. Vibrant pink, tulip-shaped flowers make it a real showstopper in April when it comes into bloom.

Like Magnolia liliiflora, this is a plant that prefers soils on the acid side of neutral. If your soil is alkaline, plant it in a container in ericaceous compost and remember to water it with rainwater rather than hard tap water.

DARK DELIGHT

Magnolia liliiflora ‘Nigra’ Magnolia liliiflora ‘Nigra’, or Black Lily Magnolia, is another magnolia small enough to be grown in a patio tub if needs be. Its large, upright, tulip-shaped flowers are a rich reddish purple on the outside and a lighter purplish pink inside.

Later flowering than Magnolia stellata, and hence less prone to having its flowers frosted, it will be at its best in May and June, although flowering can continue on and off until early autumn. It’s less tolerant of alkalinity than Magnolia stellata, and will do best in an acid-to-neutral soil.

Magnolias are one of the oldest groups of flowering plants, and date back to long before bees first took to the air.

STRIKINGLY STARRY

Magnolia stellata Magnolia stellata, the Star Magnolia, is a popular choice for small gardens or to grow in a large container on a patio, and it’s no wonder. This slow-growing, compact shrub – ultimate height around 2.5 metres – produces masses of large, pure white, star-shaped flowers on bare branches in late March and April. These are followed by glossy, sometimes bronze-tinted leaves.

It’s not picky about what soil it’s grown in, provided it isn’t too alkaline. In its native Japan it grows by mountain watercourses, so it will be happiest in moist soil. Mulch regularly with bark compost or bark chippings to conserve moisture and nudge the soil in the direction of a little extra acidity.

BIG AND BOLD

Magnolia wilsonii and Magnolia sieboldii If you have room in your garden for something a little larger than the shrubs discussed so far – something that will potentially hit the 6-metre mark in a few decades – here are two to consider.

In spring and summer, both Magnolia wilsonii and Magnolia sieboldii bear large, fragrant, cupshaped flowers that are white with a central ring of dark crimson stamens. They’ll be happy in any soil providing it’s not too dry.

PERFUME AND PICKLE

Magnolia ‘Heaven Scent’ Magnolia ‘Heaven Scent’ is another small tree – ultimate height around 10 metres – whose pale pink, honey-scented, goblet-shaped flowers make a striking display in April and May. It will do best on a soil on the acid side of neutral.

THIS PAGE: TOP Magnolia ‘Heaven Scent’ ABOVE Magnolia grandiflora

LATE BUT NOT LEAST

Magnolia grandiflora Magnolia grandiflora, also known as Bull Bay, is another tree whose huge lemon-scented blooms – which can be up to 25cm across – are breathtaking. It is much later to flower than most other magnolias and will look its finest from midsummer onwards.

Like its flowers, the tree itself is substantially larger – up to 12 metres high – although more diminutive cultivars, such as Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’, are widely available. Unlike the other magnolias discussed here, Magnolia grandiflora is an evergreen, with handsome oval, glossy, dark green leaves that are often rusty brown underneath.

This species may be a touch less hardy than other magnolias, so it’s probably not the best choice for a bleak, windswept site. It will tolerate all soil types providing they are relatively moist, so mulch regularly with organic matter until well established.