Description

Leaves: Alternate; simple; obovate to broadly oblong; 3" to 6" across; 1-1/2" to 3" wide; deciduous; entire margin with narrow, pointed apex; glabrous; dark green above.

Twigs/buds: Twigs fairly stout; brown; glabrous; fragrant when crushed.  Terminal buds 1/2" to 3/4" long, silky; lateral buds smaller.

Flowers/fruit: Flowers perfect, large (5" to 10"), showy, white to pink to purplish; open in spring before the leaves; often whitish inside and pink to purple outside.  Fruit an aggregate of follicles; held upright; matures in August-September.

Bark: Gray on older trunks, usually smooth.

Wood: No information available.

General: This species is a hybrid of lily magnolia (M. quinquepeta) and Yulan magnolia (M. heptapeta), both natives of China.  Shade intolerant.

Landscape Use: Attractive tree with beautiful flowers that does well throughout the much of Utah.  This is a small to medium-sized, spreading tree.  Flowers are very attractive, but flower buds are sometimes injured by late frosts.  I have seen several examples of this tree doing well and blooming in Logan.  Zones 4-9.

Cultivars: 'Alba Superba', 'Alexandrina', 'Amabilis', 'Andre LeRoy', 'Big Pink', 'Brozzonii', 'Burgundy', 'Candolleana', 'Deep Purple Dream',' Eleanor Coates', 'Eleanor May', 'Etienne Soulange-Bodin', 'Forrest Pink', 'Grace McDade', 'Lennei', 'Lennei Alba', 'Lilliputian', 'Lombardy Rose', 'Momoju', 'Nakamura #3', 'Norbertii', 'Picture', 'Picture Superba', 'Purple and White', 'Purpliana', 'Red Head', 'Ruby', 'Rustica Rubra', 'San Jose', 'Speciosa', 'Striped Spice', 'Suishoreu' ,'Superba Rosea', 'Toju', 'Triumphans', 'Veitchii Rubra', 'Verbanica', 'White Giant.

Characteristics