Magnolias

Fortunately the frosts in late March affected only a couple of the many beautiful magnolias flowering over many weeks in various parts of the Gardens. This primitive genus, pollinated by beetles before flying insects evolved, originated in east- and south-east Asia and north and central America.  

In 1688 M. virginiana was the first magnolia to arrive in Europe, from America, and was named after Charles Magnol, a doctor and botanist from Montpellier.  It was another 100 years before Sir Joseph Banks introduced the first Chinese magnolia, M. denudata, the Lily tree. A stunning specimen, smothered in pure white cup-shaped flowers,  grows at the top of the AGM beds, near the fountain. This is a parent of M. x soulangeana, the most widely grown magnolia; three of these form part of the collection next to the Rose Garden.

The much admired M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’, brought from Japan by Veitch in 1861 and delightful M. x loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’ one of whose parents is the popular Star magnolia, M. stellata, are also to be found here.

Left to right: Magnolia denudata, M. liliiflora ‘Nigra’ and M. x loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’.