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| An example of using magnolias in the gardens |
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| Magnolia Loebneri 'Leonard Messel' with Magnolia stellata 'Royal Star' |
Stellatas and Kobus:
The photo above is a few years old and I've included it to demonstrate what can go wrong when growing magnolias. On the left is M. kobus var. loebneri 'Leonard Messel'. This plant, at the time the above photo was taken, was 28 years old and probably with the exception of Magnolia stellata 'Royal Star' pictured beside it, the hardiest magnolia on the property for the majority of those years. This Leonard Messel died the following year when a great many less hardy magnolias came through a reasonably seasonalble winter unscathed. My interpretation of what happened has to do with a couple of warm days... I believe in this case the sap started moving through this particular tree, probably because of where it was located, and froze when the weather turned colder thus destroying cellular walls. While only a theory, this explains why I prefer to plant my less hardy trees in the coldest areas of the gardens, thus putting off false growth starts in the spring of the year as well as holding off the swelling of magnolia buds. The least hardy magnolia in the garden is a very small plant of Magnolia soulangiana 'Burgundy' which has lived through many winters despite being planted where the snow and the ice is the last to disappear in the spring. I am considering moving it however as it is in too much shade and hasn't grown much, but I will definitely look for a similar temperature situation.
#1 Magnolia kobus var. loebneri 'Leonard Messel'... a small plant shown below. Color can vary with Leonard Messel due to temps in a particular year.
#2/3/4/5/6 Magnolia kobus var. stellata 'Royal Star'
I have several M. kobus var. stellata 'Royal Star' plants in the gardens. For someone starting out with magnolias in a colder climate, I consider this a good plant to try and also many of the newer Ledvina cultivars with zone 4 hardiness. I have given many plants away of Royal Star. When the Leonard Messel above died a few years ago, it left a big hole in the side of the Royal Star that was branched to the ground. Upon raising and shaping the Royal Star canopy, I found over 30 natural ground layerings, each a good start of a tree. Most were gifted as I truly didn't need 35 Royal Star magnolias, although had there been space, this would have been a marvelous design possibility, not unlike the stellatas at John Deere's headquarters in Moline, Illinois.
The following photo is another of my Royal Stars. They would prefer to be a large shrub so it is necessary once a season to remove new growth at the bottom of the tree form I prefer in this location.
#1 Magnolia kobus var. loebneri 'Leonard Messel'... a small plant shown below. Color can vary with Leonard Messel due to temps in a particular year.
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| A young Magnolia loebneri 'Leonard Messel' blooming for the first time |
#2/3/4/5/6 Magnolia kobus var. stellata 'Royal Star'
I have several M. kobus var. stellata 'Royal Star' plants in the gardens. For someone starting out with magnolias in a colder climate, I consider this a good plant to try and also many of the newer Ledvina cultivars with zone 4 hardiness. I have given many plants away of Royal Star. When the Leonard Messel above died a few years ago, it left a big hole in the side of the Royal Star that was branched to the ground. Upon raising and shaping the Royal Star canopy, I found over 30 natural ground layerings, each a good start of a tree. Most were gifted as I truly didn't need 35 Royal Star magnolias, although had there been space, this would have been a marvelous design possibility, not unlike the stellatas at John Deere's headquarters in Moline, Illinois.
The following photo is another of my Royal Stars. They would prefer to be a large shrub so it is necessary once a season to remove new growth at the bottom of the tree form I prefer in this location.
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| Magnolia stellata 'Royal Star' |
I also have a small plant of M. kobus var. stellata 'Jane Platt' which hasn't bloomed for me yet. When it does, it will have blossoms of 20-30 tepals and a light pink coloration. It is named for the well known gardener who was from Portland, Oregon. This plant may be less hardy than some other stellatas.
#7 Magnolia kobus var. stellata 'Jane Platt'
At pretty much the same time as Royal Star blooms, so too the M. kobus var. loebneri 'Spring Snow' plants of which I have two planted next to each other and in close proximity to a Royal Star. These trees can eventually reach 30' x 30' and despite being fairly tall, are relatively young at this point. They do not bloom as heavily yet as they may in the future. I love their blossoms for the soft lavender pink centers and amazing fragrance.
At one time I had a nice Magnolia kobus var. loebneri 'Ballerina' in this location which suffered 'death by spruce tree'. My youngest son was about eight years old at the time and we were cutting down a 25' spruce tree next to the magnolia. Unfortunately, it fell in a different direction than I had planned. I'll never forget my young son's boisterous comment... 'Hey Dad!... you just wiped out your precious mongolia'!!
#8 Magnolia stellata 'Pink Perfection' ... a pink stellata with 50 tepals... no photo available at this time.
#9/10 Magnolia kobus var. loebneri 'Spring Snow'
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| Magnolia stellata 'Royal Star' to the left & two Magnolia loebneri 'Spring Snow to the right |
Early blooming magnolias are best located with an evergreen backdrop to help them show better. I have not always followed my own advice, however. Below is a photo of the individual Spring Snow bloom. Spring Snow buds are a bit more cold hardy than similar selections of M. kobus var. loebneri.
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| A bloom of Magnolia kobus var. loebneri 'Spring Snow' with 15-20 tepals |
#11/12 Magnolia kobus 'Wada's Memory' (also Magnolia x kewensis 'Wada's Memory' or Magnolia salicifolia x kobus 'Wada's Memory')...
If this doesn't confuse you, I don't know what will! It's all the same plant and has to do with the crosses involved to create 'Wada's Memory'. Seven inch flowers of the purest white soon droop and give the appearance of tissues completely covering the tree. If my high school students had been able to "tee pee" my garden as beautifully as this, I might not have been so upset with them! My two Wada's Memory trees are in the twenty foot range now and would be more effective had I not pruned a few lower branches up, but it's a matter of having the space. They create a number of seedlings which I leave in place hoping for something interesting. I removed one that was a beautiful white with blossoms having a limited number of tepals but a profuse bloomer. It was extremely prone to aphids which I've never seen on a magnolia before, so goodbye Magnolia what x whichever 'Larry's Memory'!
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| 'Wada's Memory' |
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| 'Wada's Memory' |
Magnolia Soulangiana is perhaps one of the earliest and best known of the magnolia hybrids. These were first produced by a Frenchman named Etienne Soulange-Bodin around 1820. There are now at least fifty cultivars of Soulangiana magnolias. The one pictured below came to me mislabled as a Brozonii which it definitely was not. I lost it two years ago in a severe wind storm. One thing that was particularly interesting about it was the fact that it had a quite extended bloom period. Being an early bloomer, it was often hit by frost, but there were always a great many later buds to come.
-1 unknown cultivar Magnolia soulangiana
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| Unknown cultivar of Magnolia soulangiana with M. kobus stellata 'Royal Star' |
#13/14 Magnolia x soulangiana 'Brozzoni'
Brozzoni has flowers mostly white with some rose color deep within the six tepals and extending upwards. Flowers can reach 8-10" in diameter. I have two of the trees, one of which has experienced some problems having been ravaged by rabbits, although one of its two trunks may well make it just fine. The other is doing quite well for me. Brozzoni is perhaps one of the hardiest of the soulangiana cultivars and does bloom a bit later than most, thus helping to protect it from frost damage. Pictures below...
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| Magnolia x soulangiana 'Brozzoni' |
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| Magnolia x soulangiana 'Brozzoni' |
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| Magnolia x soulangiana 'Brozzoni' |
#15 Magnolia x soulangiana 'Burgundy'
If Brozzoni is one of the hardier of the soulangianas, Burgundy is less so and a very beautiful but one of the earliest bloomers... as noted earlier, if I move this selection, I will make every effort to place it where its roots will remain frozen in as late in the season as possible... it's not a wise choice for this climate however. Bloom detail below...
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| Magnolia x soulangiana 'Burgundy' |
There are three of these trees that are just now starting to develop after several years of fending off the rabbits. They were ordered as Brozzonis but obviously aren't that... they are growing in the least protected part of the gardens and are starting to develop a heavy blooming habit... The blossoms look very much to me like the standard old soulangianas one sees in the mid-west and if so I will be pleased because they are such heavy bearers of blooms. Photo below...
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| There are three plants of what appears to Magnolia x soulangiana 'Soulangiana' |
#19 is another mislabeled cultivar of Magnolia x soulangiana. It was sent as a replacement for a M x soulaniana 'Verbanica'. After many years when it finally bloomed for the first time, it became apparent that it wasn't what it professed to be. It is, however, quite lovely and I suspect that it is possibly Magnolia x soulangiana 'Lennei'. Photos below...
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| Magnolia x soulangiana 'Lennei' ? |
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| Magnolia x soulangiana 'Lennei' ? |
#20 Magnolia x soulangiana 'Rustica Rubra'... I have no photos of this in bloom but it's flowers are deeper and brighter pink, but similar in shape to the plant pictured above. It is a very vigorous grower and I have a number of buds that I anticipate blooming this spring.
#21 Magnolia x soulangiana 'Verbanica' which was ground layered for me by my friend Frog Pond. The tree is quite small at this point but once the roots are established, it should take off in a hurry. Verbanica has excellent pink color on tepals that are a bit narrower than many soulangianas. It also has the advantage of being a later bloomer. Photo of the parent plant below...
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| This is the parent plant of 'Verbanica' to my ground layered young tree (In Frog Pond's garden) |
#22/23 Magnolia X soulangiana 'Alexandrina'
For several years I purchased magnolias from a source that after time has gone by, obviously sent plants that were mislabeled on a frequent basis. I have two plants of Alexandrina(at least that is what they were labeled as). One is considerably older than the other and both are planted with a lot of root competition from other trees, The older one has bloomed very well since it was a young plant and is pictured to the right in the photo below. There are supposedly two forms grown under the name Alexandrina, with the darker form being the hardiest soulangiana available. To make matters even more confusing, the cultivar 'Big Pink' was also sold for a long time as Alexandrina. Whatever mine is, I am very pleased with its performance as it has never demonstrated any damage from cold. Photo below...
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| One of two Magnolia x soulangiana 'Alexandrina' on the right side of the photo |
The Little Girl Hybrids: In the 1950's the Kosar/deVos hybrids came out of crosses done at the United States National Arboretum. They first bloomed in the early 1960's. These ended up being known as the "Eight Little Girls" of which I grow four of the cultivars. All are later blooming and do quite well, often with additional blooming in later summer. In fact this trait may eventually allow for longer blooming cultivars in general.
Little Girls:
#24/25/26 Betty... M. kobus var. stellata 'Rosea x M. liliiflora 'Nigra'
Little Girls:
#24/25/26 Betty... M. kobus var. stellata 'Rosea x M. liliiflora 'Nigra'
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| 'Betty' |
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| 'Betty' |
#27/28 Pinkie... M. kobus var. stellata 'Rosea' x Magnolia liliiflora 'Reflorescens'
Pinkie is my favorite of the Little Girls for its color and bloom form, especially on younger blossoms.
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| 'Pinkie' |
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| 'Pinkie' |
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| 'Pinkie' with a few blooms of 'Betty' in the lower left hand corner of the photo |
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| Betty/Pinkie/Betty/Pinkie!! |
#29/30 Ann... M. kobus var. stellata x Magnolia liliiflora 'Nigra'
I have had these two little plants of Ann for years and they have grown very little through that period of time... just when I start to wonder if they are some sort of rare genetic dwarf, (that could be a very valuable thing!), they have started to add growth a bit more rapidly. Ann tends to bloom a fair amount in late summer as does Betty, but Ann's blooms stay more attractive at that time. Photos below...
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| 'Ann'... at least fifteen years of age, displaying unusual dwarf quality |
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| 'Ann' in bloom on August 23rd... warmer temps influence color |
#31/32 Susan... M. kobus var. stellata 'Rosea' x Magnolia liliiflora 'Nigra'
I presently have no photos of my two 'Susan' plants in my files.
Other Named cultivars:
#33/34 Galaxy... Magnolia liliiflora 'Nigra' x M. sprengeri 'Diva'
This plant was also from the work of William Kosar at the USNA in 1963. The flowers have 12 tepals and are good sized. Said to be fragrant, I really wouldn't know as the blooms are always quite high on my plants, although they do make a good companion for 'Magnolia Butterflies' which I will discuss wih other yellow cultivars.
Yellow Magnolias:
Pictured above with Galaxy and below is:
#35/36 'Butterflies' M. acuminata x M. denudata 'Sawada's Cream'...This is a hybrid from the late Phil Savage and by virtue of using acuminata as a seed parent, additional hardiness is achieved. Acuminatas are the 'cucumbertrees' that grow naturally in the eastern portions of the US and up into Canada. They can be very large and are among the hardiest of the magnolia relatives. Other traits that may be brought into new hybrid magnolias include lateness of bloom, thus avoiding late frosts, and extended bloom in many cases... More on these later. Butterflies is a very heavy bloomer and has some of the richest yellows on smallish flowers of any magnolia. The show is big and generally past in a week. When it is hit by too cold temperatures it quickly turns to brown, but most years we escape that situation.
#37 Yellow Bird... Magnolia acuminata x (M. x brookynensis 'Evamaria')
This is from Doris Stone at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in 1967 and introduced in 1981. The pyramidal tree is a good later bloomer and blooms with the emergence of foliage. It is quite lovely and blooms for between two and three weeks each year. My small tree is covered with flower buds for the coming season.
I presently have no photos of my two 'Susan' plants in my files.
Other Named cultivars:
#33/34 Galaxy... Magnolia liliiflora 'Nigra' x M. sprengeri 'Diva'
This plant was also from the work of William Kosar at the USNA in 1963. The flowers have 12 tepals and are good sized. Said to be fragrant, I really wouldn't know as the blooms are always quite high on my plants, although they do make a good companion for 'Magnolia Butterflies' which I will discuss wih other yellow cultivars.
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| 'Galaxy' (pink) and 'Butterflies' (yellow) |
Pictured above with Galaxy and below is:
#35/36 'Butterflies' M. acuminata x M. denudata 'Sawada's Cream'...This is a hybrid from the late Phil Savage and by virtue of using acuminata as a seed parent, additional hardiness is achieved. Acuminatas are the 'cucumbertrees' that grow naturally in the eastern portions of the US and up into Canada. They can be very large and are among the hardiest of the magnolia relatives. Other traits that may be brought into new hybrid magnolias include lateness of bloom, thus avoiding late frosts, and extended bloom in many cases... More on these later. Butterflies is a very heavy bloomer and has some of the richest yellows on smallish flowers of any magnolia. The show is big and generally past in a week. When it is hit by too cold temperatures it quickly turns to brown, but most years we escape that situation.
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| 'Butterflies' |
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| 'Butterflies' |
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| 'Butterflies' |
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| 'Butterflies' |
#37 Yellow Bird... Magnolia acuminata x (M. x brookynensis 'Evamaria')
This is from Doris Stone at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in 1967 and introduced in 1981. The pyramidal tree is a good later bloomer and blooms with the emergence of foliage. It is quite lovely and blooms for between two and three weeks each year. My small tree is covered with flower buds for the coming season.
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| 'Yellow Bird' |
#38 I have one plant of what I believe to be 'Sundance' with good size yellow blooms. It is having some difficulty with what I'm concerned could be verticillum wilt. Symptoms include losing branches from the bottom up in a rapid fashion with foliage becoming papery brown. This has happened with three other magnolias in the past. On the other hand, I have some suspicion that it could be from spraying lawn weeds with herbicides. Because of the superficial large roots of the magnolias, I hypothesize that they could be absorbing some of the herbicide... I guess that may be wishful thinking as there really isn't a cure for verticillum wilt. About all one can do is a fungicidal drench of the soil in the area and hope for the best.
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| I believe this to be 'Sundance' |
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| 'Sundance' to the left in photo |
#39 is another mislabeled yellow magnolia. No picture available at this time
#40 'Yellow Lantern'... Magnolia acuminata var. subcordata x (M. x soulangiana 'Alexandrina')
This makes a very interesting tree of pyramidal form. Bred by Phil Savage, it was registered in 1985. It is interesting in that its blooms remain in an upright form with a touch of red towards the base. I've read that it was named after the lantern at the entrance to Mr. Savage's favorite tavern, but have no personal knowledge of that!
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| 'Yellow Lantern' |
#41 'Elizabeth'... Magnolia acuminata x M. denudata
Elizabeth is without a doubt my favorite yellow magnolia although the color is actually more of a cream. This is a cross at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden from 1956 and named in 1978 so it is by no means a very new cultivar, and yet not many seem aware of it. This tree should be in every magnolia lover's garden. It is one of the first yellow flowered cultivars to be developed and to my mind one of the best of which I am aware. Flowers have red toned stamens, are large, and the tree is hardy into zone 4 with later season blossoming. It makes a wonderful partner for another of my favorites which I will discuss shortly... that being Daybreak.
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| 'Elizabeth' |
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| 'Elizabeth' |
It's time to mention a magnolia hybridizer I am acquainted with... Dennis Ledvina is doing more for developing hardy, long blooming, fastigiate trees than perhaps any other hybridizer in the world. Regarding hardiness, the goal is zone 4 at least and there are many that meet that criteria amongst Dennis' available cultivars. Bloom periods are becoming extended, lasting four to six weeks... eventually maybe even longer with newer crosses being experimented with.... hardiness and bloom period are directly related to acuminata in the background of these new releases. The reason for fastigiate trees has to do with trees that are usable in an average home landscape.
#42 'Savage Splendor'... M. acuminata 'Fertle Myrtle' x M. sprengeri 'Dark Diva'
I have no photo available at this time. This tree was one of the late Phil Savage's crosses and has been selected by Tim Savage and Dennis from the Michigan crosses of Phil Savage. While it doesn't have huge blooms (5"), the color is very unique from other magnolias... a true scarlet red with no magenta overtones. I have great concerns for my 8' plant even though it is doing great. It is planted close to 'Sundance' and if there is verticillum wilt in that area, it may affect 'Savage Splendor' as well. This spot will definitely get a drench of fungicide a few times this next season.
#43/#44 'Daybreak'... (M.x brooklynensis 'Woodsman') x 'Tina Durio'
This is without a doubt one of my favorite magnolias. It's from a cross made by August Kehr in North Carolina. The flowers are a unique shade of light rose pink and the fragrance is to die for! It is very much a fastigiate plant first registered in 1991. Most photos in catalogs and on the net don't do it justice... this is a beautiful flowering tree. It is frequently listed as zone 6 but established it can definitely handle zone 5 and with proper placement, perhaps even zone 4. Blooms are generally about 10" in diameter and a single blossom is a show in itself. Variation of color in the following photos has to do with the time of day they were taken and the type of available light...
'Daybreak' is a perfectly timed companion for 'Elizabeth' in my garden...
Newer Cultivars... particularly those of Dennis Ledvina
#45 'Simple Pleasures'... M.liliiflora x M. 'Norman Gould'
'Simple Pleasures' is a wonderful tree hybridized by Dennis. Its blooms arrive shortly after the stellatas and continue for a full month. My tree has been blooming from an early age, is very bud hardy, and it is a lovely shade of pink...
#46 'Sunset Swirl'... M. 'Pink Royalty' x M. 'Daybreak'
My Sunset Swirl has yet to set its first buds but I have seen blooms of this plant. This is another of Dennis' crosses. Color resembles 'Daybreak' as well as a summer's sunset, hence the name. The bloom form is remarkably better than 'Daybreak' however. It is a flat pinwheel shape that has no floppiness. I'm very anxious for this one to bloom.
#47... M. Pink Royalty' x 'Daybreak'
Does this sound familiar? This is the same cross as 'Sunset Swirl' so this is a perhaps a sister seedling. I got this from Dennis and it should bloom this spring for the first time...can't wait to be surprised!
#48/49 'Rose Marie'... M. 'Pink Surprise' x 'Daybreak'
Are you noticing a pattern here... 'Daybreak' is a very important plant in terms of breeding new cultivars, especially in terms of color and fragrance... also do remember that 'Daybreak' has 'Woodsman' in its makeup, and 'Woodsman' is from a cross of M. acuminata 'Klausen' x M. liliiflora 'O'Neill', making 'Daybreak' one quarter acuminata. Acuminata is very important in the backgrounds of these hardy and long blooming new cultivars! From my point of view, the color of 'Rose Marie' in a dark vivid rosy pink with a medium pink solid colored interior makes it very special. One of my two plants may bloom this spring.
#50 'Blushing Belle'... M. 'Yellow Bird' x M. 'Caerhays Belle'
Dennis told me a couple years ago that this was one of his best crosses. I haven't seen a plant in bloom but pictures of it are amazing. It blooms after -30 degrees which in itself is no small feat! My tree got buried under a eight foot high snowdrift a year ago and this past spring it was broken off to only one small side bud about a foot off the ground. By this fall it was once again a small tree about four foot in height. I am anxiously awaiting the maturation of this cultivar.
#51 'Roseanne'... M. liliiflora 'O'Neil' x M. kobus 'Norman Gould'
This plant of Dennis' has bloomed for me every year since I planted it at about two and a half feet of height. I particularly enjoy the wide tepals and the color...
#52 'Angelica'... M.'Pegasus' x M. soulangeana 'Sawada's Pink'
This is another great cross coming from Dennis. Mine has yet to bloom for the first time but when it does it will have nine tepals, each over 3" in diameter. The bloom is a non-flopping and pure white bowl shape.
#53 'Crescendo'... M. 'Yellow Lantern' x M. 'Big Dude'
This is said to be very long blooming and tiny buds develop into large blossoms that continue to enlarge as if in a crecendo. My plant has its first buds and should bloom this spring. My friend Frog Pond has the first known plant of this given to him by Dennis and it was he who named it. The following photos are of that plant...
#54 'Red Baron' M. acuminata x M. 'Big Dude'
My 'Red Baron' should bloom for the first time this spring. It will have very hardy, red toned blooms and is a hybrid of Dennis as well.
#55 'Toro'
I have been unable to locate the cross for 'Toro' but I do know that it is one half acuminata. It is a Phil Savage hybrid and a grandparent to 'Rose Marie'. Many acuminatas can reach one hundred feet of height and 'Toro' has inherited some of that. Dennis has described this a a timber tree and I seem to recall him mentioning 75 feet in height. It is a heavy bloomer and mine is laden with buds for next year. Previously the blooms have been limited to a few but they are a most unusual color with peachy tones and rose red streaks, and quite large...
A few other magnolias:
#56 'White Rose'
Magnolia loebneri 'White Rose' is an open pollinated seedling of Ballerina, selected by my gardening friend Bill Seidl. I should have included this earlier with the other loebneris. It is a very full bloom with many tepals. The blossoms are relatively small. I was extremely impressed with its fall foliage color this past season...
#57/58/59 Magnolia sieboldii 'Colossus'
These are plants arising from crosses of Augie Kehr in 1997 that involve the doubling of chromosomes of seed from a tetraploid sieboldii x a diploid sieboldii. While they have yet to flower for me, the flowers are said to be large with many heavy textured tepals and fragrant. They are also said to bloom profusely... time will tell.
#60 M. 'Oriental Charm' ... M. officinalis x M. wieseneri
A gift from Dennis who said I simply had to experience these huge blooms that scent the entire garden.
#61 Magnolia tripetala
Also known as umbrella magnolia with its very large leaves, this plant took some years to adapt to my gardens as it originally had hardiness issues. That seems to be past now and it is doing well...
#42 'Savage Splendor'... M. acuminata 'Fertle Myrtle' x M. sprengeri 'Dark Diva'
I have no photo available at this time. This tree was one of the late Phil Savage's crosses and has been selected by Tim Savage and Dennis from the Michigan crosses of Phil Savage. While it doesn't have huge blooms (5"), the color is very unique from other magnolias... a true scarlet red with no magenta overtones. I have great concerns for my 8' plant even though it is doing great. It is planted close to 'Sundance' and if there is verticillum wilt in that area, it may affect 'Savage Splendor' as well. This spot will definitely get a drench of fungicide a few times this next season.
#43/#44 'Daybreak'... (M.x brooklynensis 'Woodsman') x 'Tina Durio'
This is without a doubt one of my favorite magnolias. It's from a cross made by August Kehr in North Carolina. The flowers are a unique shade of light rose pink and the fragrance is to die for! It is very much a fastigiate plant first registered in 1991. Most photos in catalogs and on the net don't do it justice... this is a beautiful flowering tree. It is frequently listed as zone 6 but established it can definitely handle zone 5 and with proper placement, perhaps even zone 4. Blooms are generally about 10" in diameter and a single blossom is a show in itself. Variation of color in the following photos has to do with the time of day they were taken and the type of available light...
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| 'Daybreak' |
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| 'Daybreak' |
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| 'Daybreak' |
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| 'Daybreak' |
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| 'Daybreak' |
'Daybreak' is a perfectly timed companion for 'Elizabeth' in my garden...
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| 'Elizabeth' with 'Daybreak' |
Newer Cultivars... particularly those of Dennis Ledvina
#45 'Simple Pleasures'... M.liliiflora x M. 'Norman Gould'
'Simple Pleasures' is a wonderful tree hybridized by Dennis. Its blooms arrive shortly after the stellatas and continue for a full month. My tree has been blooming from an early age, is very bud hardy, and it is a lovely shade of pink...
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| 'Simple Pleasures' |
#46 'Sunset Swirl'... M. 'Pink Royalty' x M. 'Daybreak'
My Sunset Swirl has yet to set its first buds but I have seen blooms of this plant. This is another of Dennis' crosses. Color resembles 'Daybreak' as well as a summer's sunset, hence the name. The bloom form is remarkably better than 'Daybreak' however. It is a flat pinwheel shape that has no floppiness. I'm very anxious for this one to bloom.
#47... M. Pink Royalty' x 'Daybreak'
Does this sound familiar? This is the same cross as 'Sunset Swirl' so this is a perhaps a sister seedling. I got this from Dennis and it should bloom this spring for the first time...can't wait to be surprised!
#48/49 'Rose Marie'... M. 'Pink Surprise' x 'Daybreak'
Are you noticing a pattern here... 'Daybreak' is a very important plant in terms of breeding new cultivars, especially in terms of color and fragrance... also do remember that 'Daybreak' has 'Woodsman' in its makeup, and 'Woodsman' is from a cross of M. acuminata 'Klausen' x M. liliiflora 'O'Neill', making 'Daybreak' one quarter acuminata. Acuminata is very important in the backgrounds of these hardy and long blooming new cultivars! From my point of view, the color of 'Rose Marie' in a dark vivid rosy pink with a medium pink solid colored interior makes it very special. One of my two plants may bloom this spring.
#50 'Blushing Belle'... M. 'Yellow Bird' x M. 'Caerhays Belle'
Dennis told me a couple years ago that this was one of his best crosses. I haven't seen a plant in bloom but pictures of it are amazing. It blooms after -30 degrees which in itself is no small feat! My tree got buried under a eight foot high snowdrift a year ago and this past spring it was broken off to only one small side bud about a foot off the ground. By this fall it was once again a small tree about four foot in height. I am anxiously awaiting the maturation of this cultivar.
#51 'Roseanne'... M. liliiflora 'O'Neil' x M. kobus 'Norman Gould'
This plant of Dennis' has bloomed for me every year since I planted it at about two and a half feet of height. I particularly enjoy the wide tepals and the color...
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| 'Roseanne' |
#52 'Angelica'... M.'Pegasus' x M. soulangeana 'Sawada's Pink'
This is another great cross coming from Dennis. Mine has yet to bloom for the first time but when it does it will have nine tepals, each over 3" in diameter. The bloom is a non-flopping and pure white bowl shape.
#53 'Crescendo'... M. 'Yellow Lantern' x M. 'Big Dude'
This is said to be very long blooming and tiny buds develop into large blossoms that continue to enlarge as if in a crecendo. My plant has its first buds and should bloom this spring. My friend Frog Pond has the first known plant of this given to him by Dennis and it was he who named it. The following photos are of that plant...
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| 'Crescendo' |
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| 'Crescendo' |
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| 'Crescendo' |
My 'Red Baron' should bloom for the first time this spring. It will have very hardy, red toned blooms and is a hybrid of Dennis as well.
#55 'Toro'
I have been unable to locate the cross for 'Toro' but I do know that it is one half acuminata. It is a Phil Savage hybrid and a grandparent to 'Rose Marie'. Many acuminatas can reach one hundred feet of height and 'Toro' has inherited some of that. Dennis has described this a a timber tree and I seem to recall him mentioning 75 feet in height. It is a heavy bloomer and mine is laden with buds for next year. Previously the blooms have been limited to a few but they are a most unusual color with peachy tones and rose red streaks, and quite large...
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| 'Toro' |
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| 'Toro' |
A few other magnolias:
#56 'White Rose'
Magnolia loebneri 'White Rose' is an open pollinated seedling of Ballerina, selected by my gardening friend Bill Seidl. I should have included this earlier with the other loebneris. It is a very full bloom with many tepals. The blossoms are relatively small. I was extremely impressed with its fall foliage color this past season...
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| 'White Rose' |
#57/58/59 Magnolia sieboldii 'Colossus'
These are plants arising from crosses of Augie Kehr in 1997 that involve the doubling of chromosomes of seed from a tetraploid sieboldii x a diploid sieboldii. While they have yet to flower for me, the flowers are said to be large with many heavy textured tepals and fragrant. They are also said to bloom profusely... time will tell.
#60 M. 'Oriental Charm' ... M. officinalis x M. wieseneri
A gift from Dennis who said I simply had to experience these huge blooms that scent the entire garden.
#61 Magnolia tripetala
Also known as umbrella magnolia with its very large leaves, this plant took some years to adapt to my gardens as it originally had hardiness issues. That seems to be past now and it is doing well...
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| Magnolia tripetala |
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| Magnolia tripetala |
This concludes my review of the 61 magnolias presently in my gardens. I plan on updating from time to time as new trees are added and others bloom for the first time. Over the years I have lost a number of magnolias... sometimes because of 'critters' in the gardens, other times because I forgot to water them enough during their first season here, and occasionally from hardiness concerns and also disease. Magnolias generally don't have disease concerns, but if I do have verticillum wilt in certain areas of the gardens, that can kill them as well as a long list of other trees.
That's it for now, Larry
23 comments:
Larry, this is an encyclopedia of Magnolias. I have only the Star Magnolia and have had to limb it up and swing out the path next to it. It has become quite wide but loaded with buds.
Eileen
What a staggering - and beautiful - collection!
I was startled to read that you deliberately put your least-hardy trees in cold spots, but your reasoning makes sense. Have you noticed a sharp difference in survival rates?
Your son's comment about the magnolia who suffered "death by spruce tree" made me laugh... but I think I would have felt sick at the time.
Eileen: We have an ancient stellata locally that is in a tree form and has been for the 40 years I've lived here. No one ever has to prune growth from the bottom... it's at a non-gardener's property. I wonder if at some point the plants stop pushing that bottom growth. Larry
James... yes I am quite amazed that the 'Burgundy' has lived for several years... it's in too much shade just now to make flower buds. Hardiness often isn't just about how cold it gets. Frequently if one can hold off the plant's starting to come out of dormancy until the weather is more settled, a specific plant with borderline hardiness may manage relatively well. There are other issues with magnolias that affect how they do. Winter shade is good as is a higher level of winter humidity... we are affected by lakes, including Lake Michigan to the east that allows for better humidity conditions... perhaps less drying conditions is the better way to put it. A real biggy is the whole situation with plants getting a proper hardening off. On my buddy's ranch in Colorado, it can be 70 degrees one day and below zero the next... most magnolias could not handle this situation. I cringe at winter thaws and am thankful when, despite temps in the 40's, it still freezes at night such as will happen here this week. Once the saps start moving, serious injury can occur when temps return to below freezing. I'm quite sure this is how I lost the large Leonard Messel. Larry
Larry...What a wonderful compilation you have put together. I never knew there were so many magnolias. I am going to read it again tomorrow when I get to school and take notes so I will better understand the different varieties. Your photographs are so beautiful. Amazing photography. I wanted to let you know I posted the last installment of Swannanoa Estate tonight and I included pictures of the signed Tiffany chandelier and the Tiffany style stained glass at the top of the staircase. I thought you might be interested in looking at them. The lighting was terrible in the old place and I only had a telephoto lens...not the best for the occasion. The smoking room where the chandler is is a small but beautiful room with lots of carved wood. In an earlier post I included some pictures of that particular room...I think. Anyway, here is the link. Genie
http://climbingthedigitalmountain.blogspot.com/2012/01/final-installment-of-swannanoa-estate.html
Ah, Magnolias--among my very favorites! It must smell incredible over your way when they're in bloom. The photo of 'Simple Pleasures' is stunning!
I am so happy you got my message. Were there things about the chandalier that for someone like you says “real Tiffany?” I would think that other people actually did the work. Tiffany and Faberge are probably my favorites of all time. In Richmond we have a HUGE in-house Fabrege ongoing exhibit which I go to every time I am there. I need to take photos of my lamp shades and see what you think of them. genie
Thank you Plant Postings... magnolias really are amazing! Larry
Genie... it is amazing what the world of magnolias has for us to enjoy. My friend is now working with crosses involving the campbellii trees that are surreal in color and form... many new introductions of all sorts are on the horizon.
Regarding the chandelier... yes I have seen many photos of similar work from Tiffany Studios and I have a friend who has a smaller example that reminds me of the one in your post. The gentlemen employees were frequently responsible for more of the geometric work whereas the females often took care of the flower shades, most of which were designed by Clara Driscoll. If you have interest in the inner workings of Tiffany Studios, I highly recommend A New Light on Tiffany: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Girls ... by
Margi Hofer , Martin Eidelberg, and Nina Gray . This book is based on the correspondence of Clara Driscoll which was located only some years back and is amazing and awash in new details of what life was like for her and others in the employ of Lois Comfort Tiffany.
And yes, I would enjoy seeing photos of your shades! Larry
As you know, magnolias are my favorite tree and I covet all of yours especially 'Ann' and 'White Rose'. However, I shuddered involuntarily when you mentioned pruning the bottom branches off 'Wada's Memory'.....
I know Carolyn... I simply have no choice... the same thing happens with my beeches... if I didn't do this, I would need 25 acres! Larry
Awesome collection Larry! I'm seriously jealous. I picked up M. tripetala this year from Rare Find. It was an affordable add on to the M. acuminata 'Blue Opal' I wanted that unfortunately was sold out. Any clue where to find one? I also picked up 'Vulcan' this year, I couldn't resist 12" magenta flowers. Both are overwintering in my hoop house, hopefully to be planted this season. I highly recommend Actinovate or RootShield for fighting verticillium. Not sure if RootShield is available to homeowners or not, but Actinovate is.
I really do appreciate that information regarding the fighting of verticillium... I just checked the sick tree this morning and there is plenty of healthy wood at this point. I will look into these products! I tried a 'Vulcan ' here years ago and it wasn't hardy but certainly is a beautiful tree. There was a fellow in Wisconsin a few years back who carried a number of 'cucumbertrees' but I have little info other than recalling that he has shown up at the plant expo in Madison... I'll see if I come across anything... Larry
Plant Geek... you might give this place a call regarding Magnolia acuminatas... not sure if this was the fellow I remembered or not... Larry
http://www.savorwisconsin.com/AllListings/detail.asp?recordid=1031&table=producer
Oh, I love magnolias, I have wanted one for my garden for years, but have nowhere to put one! I so envy you your collection!! I have been thinking of buying a Magnolia liliiflora 'Nigra' and have in a large pot on my patio, as it would be ideal in terms of light and shelter, any experience with permanently keeping small magnolias in planters? The Nigra is supposed to flower the following year, according to info on the web-site, so no waiting for 20 years to see the first flower!
Thanks for the input Larry. I'll give that nursery a call if I get out that way. I know Rotary Botanic Garden recently got a 'Blue Opal' so I may have to ask them where it came from. We'll see how 'Vulcan' does for me. It will certainly make it this year as we've barely fallen below zero and it's protected. I may plant it at my in-laws as they don't warm up quite as fast in spring.
All of these blooms make me ache for spring, but given these warm temperatures that may not be very far away. Beautiful photos of your blooms!
Helene... I have no experience with magnolias in containers and have my doubts how well they would do. There are a few dwarfer cultivars out there and Dennis Ledvina is breeding for narrow plants for smaller gardens... of course, I have no idea what is available in Great Britain. By the way, Dennis will have an article published sometime soon in the Royal Horticultural Journal... might be worth checking into... good luck, Larry
Nick and Sage Butterfly... I'm having concerns with this early warm weather... if we get a real taste of cold, there could be a lot of damage to the magnolia bloom this year, and possibly even the trees themselves... so I'm hoping for below freezing... it has been most nights, thankfully! Larry
Larry, I am just about speechless here. There are truly not enough superlatives to describe this beauty. I have all of mine selected from the website you told me about. Eight in all, and I'll bet I'm not done yet! You have a photograph here of my favorite one. "A bloom of Magnolia kobus var. loebneri 'Spring Snow' with 15-20 tepals." If I may ask, is this one also known as a Star Magnolia?
Both your gardens and your photographs are truly magnificent! Thank you so very much for sharing all of this beauty here.
Actually... not exactly Lisa, but they do look a lot alike and bloom at the same time. The Spring Snow has stellata in its background as I understand it. Spring Snow is a Loebneri which is a hybrid between the Japanese/Korean M. kobus and the Japanese M. stellata. The Spring Snow generally gets much larger than the stellatas and I think it's considerably more fragrant. It should top out at 30' by 30'. It also grows relatively fast. Let me lnow which ones you are thinking of ordering and I will share my experience with them (if I have any!) Glad to learn of a new magnolia convert!! Larry
Oh yes Lisa... star magnolias are stellatas... I neglected to mention that! L
I loved reading about the hybridizing going on. I am grateful for the people who create improved or just different varieties for us gardeners to try. Your method for growing less hardy plants is opposite of what you usually hear, but makes sense. I live at the bottom of a valley and we get late spring and early fall frosts as the cold air settles at night, and I have come to appreciate the toll that takes on plants in my garden. So although I'm supposed to be a 5b zone, I'm looking toward hardier plants now.
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