Larry Smith and the Riverside Gardens team talk all things pots, plants and pruning in their weekly gardening column.
What a mixed bag of weather we have been having these past few weeks; it has sure kept us guessing whether spring is here early or not. It seems that many plants are going through the same dilemma, with some of them breaking their dormancy or coming into flower a few weeks earlier than usual.
Deciduous magnolia trees around the valley, however, have come in right on cue and have been putting on a stunning display for the past week or so. They are really coming in to their prime right now, so let’s hope the worst of the windy weather is behind us for the next couple of weeks; that way, the petals hold on for a while longer.
The larger growing variety that is absolutely covered now in shades of white, pink and large purple flowers is Magnolia soulangeana. This is often called the ‘saucer magnolia’ or the ‘tulip magnolia’ and is probably the best-known of the deciduous magnolias. It can reach a height of about 6m in our area but even bigger in cooler regions. It is an earlier-flowering variety with large cup and saucer-type flowers that, like all deciduous magnolias, appear on the bare winter branches, unhidden by any foliage. The leaves will slowly emerge as the flower display starts to decline, and it will settle back into the garden as a large, bushy, upright shrub or small tree. The foliage is a slightly coarse, matte-finished light green colour and oval in shape to about 15cm long.
Magnolia denudata, commonly called the ‘white magnolia’ or ‘Yulan magnolia’, has ivory white goblet-shaped flowers that are often regarded as a symbol of purity. Growing to a similar size and shape as Magnolia soulangeana, it is one of the most loved magnolias and probably the oldest magnolia in cultivation.
Magnolia black tulip is one of the more recent hybrid magnolias that we stock at the garden centre. A shorter-growing variety of 3.5m, it is known for its vibrant, rich, red-burgundy-coloured flowers. These beautiful dark flowers are amazingly large and can reach around 20cm across. They have a deep goblet shape and hold well on the plant, considering their size.
Another is Magnolia vulcan, which grows slightly larger than the black tulip variety and is just as impressive, with its flowers reaching up to 30cm across. It has cup and saucer-type flowers in a rich, ruby-red colour and grows to about 5m high.
Magnolia genie is a much more compact plant, growing to only 3m high by 2m wide. It produces deep burgundy goblet-shaped flowers. With its very compact nature, it makes a great choice for using magnolia in smaller gardens.
A similar-sized plant, ideal for smaller gardens, is Magnolia cameo. This variety has a long-lasting display of reddish-purple, more open goblet-shaped flowers. Once the flowers fully open, white tones become more prominent in the flower, giving it a two-tone appearance.
Magnolia stellata rosea is a small, rounded shrub to about 4m. It has masses of pale pink, fragrant star-shaped flowers. It is one of the earliest-flowering varieties and, like the other deciduous varieties, the flowers appear before the plant comes into leaf, making a spectacular display of petals on bare branches.
Not to be left out at this time of year, the evergreen Magnolia inspiration is putting on a floral display every bit as good as its deciduous cousins. Magnolia inspiration makes a beautiful evergreen feature tree with masses of creamy white heavily-scented star-like flowers. We have an outstanding advanced one of these in full flower on display in the garden centre among all the plants. It is growing in a 100-litre bag and stands just under 4m high with multiple flowers on every leaf along each branch. In the garden they will reach a height of up to 6m high with a dense elliptical canopy of dark green and bronze foliage. They are very hardy and reasonably quick growing.
If you have a look around the valley, it is easy to spot almost all these varieties in flower or bud now, so keep your eyes open and enjoy the magnificent display they are putting on. We also have them available in the garden centre if you would like to check them out in closer detail, but not all potted varieties are in flower just yet.
Over the next few weeks and months, keep an eye out for the other varieties of evergreen magnolias, as their first displays of spring and summer are just around the corner.