Magnolia trees
Magnolias are grown primarily for their brightly coloured spring flowers, often borne on bare branches ahead of the leaves.
- Magnolia
Alba Superba
A traditional Magnolia with large white scented tulip-shaped flowers.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: White
Magnolia x soulangeana - Magnolia
Alex
Alex is a small upright Magnolia featuring pink cup-shaped flowers, which gradually turn white.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: White
- Flower colour: Pink - light
Magnolia - Magnolia
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is a vigorous Magnolia with intense magenta flowers which bloom over a long period.£83.00buy- Flowering month: May
- Flower colour: Magenta
- Flower colour: Crimson
Magnolia - Magnolia
Apollo
Magnolia Apollo features dark violet scented flowers, appearing in early spring.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Magenta
- Flower colour: Pink - dark
Magnolia - Magnolia
Big Dude
As the name suggests, this Magnolia features huge flowers, with many shades of pink.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Pink - light
Magnolia - Magnolia
Black Beauty
Black Beauty features very dark purple tulip-shaped flowers with white centres, appearing on bare branches.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Purple
Magnolia x brooklynensis - Magnolia
Black Tulip®
Black Tulip has deep ruby red flowers, the darkest of any Magnolia variety.£84.00buy- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Magenta
- Flower colour: Crimson
Magnolia - Magnolia
Burgundy StarTM
Burgundy Star features large magenta flowers, which eventually open to a star shape.- Flowering month: March
- Flower colour: Magenta
- Flower colour: Red - dark
Magnolia - Magnolia
Colossus
Colossus is an unusual summer-flowering Magnolia, featuring large white flowers.- Flowering month: May
- Flowering month: June
- Flowering month: July
- Flower colour: White
- Awards: RHS AGM (current)
Magnolia sieboldii - Magnolia
Copeland Court
One of the smaller Magnolias, featuring large pink flowers.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Pink
- Awards: RHS AGM (current)
Magnolia sprengeri - Magnolia
Daphne
One of the best yellow-flowered Magnolias, Daphne flowers over a long period.£83.00buy- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Yellow
- Awards: RHS AGM (current)
Magnolia acuminata - Magnolia
Daybreak
A good choice for your first magnolia. Large fragrant pink flowers and a neat upright habit.£83.00buy- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Pink
- Awards: RHS AGM (current)
Magnolia x brooklynensis - Magnolia
Elisa Odenwald
Elisa Odenwald is an upright Magnolia which flowers later in the spring, featuring bright creamy white flowers.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Cream
Magnolia - Magnolia
Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a small late-flowering Magnolia which displays yellow spring flowers on bare branches.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Yellow
- Awards: RHS AGM (current)
Magnolia - Magnolia
Eskimo
Best sellerThe flowers of this Magnolia are a soft sheen of pure white, with a dark pink base.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: White
Magnolia - Magnolia
Fairy BlushTM
A small semi-evergreen Magnolia with fragrant lilac pink flowers.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Pink - light
Magnolia laevifolia - Magnolia
Fairy CreamTM
Best sellerFairy Cream is a semi-evergreen Magnolia with creamy white cup-shaped flowers.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Cream
Magnolia laevifolia - Magnolia
Fairy WhiteTM
Best sellerFairy White is a small semi-evergreen Magnolia with long-lasting pure white cup-shaped flowers.- Flowering month: April
- Flowering month: June
- Flowering month: July
- Flower colour: White
Magnolia laevifolia - Magnolia
Felix JuryTM
Felix Jury is notable for its huge crimson purple flowers.£83.00buy- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Pink - dark
Magnolia - Magnolia
Fireglow
Magnolia Fireglow features white tulip-shaped flowers with a candy-pink flush from the base.- Flowering month: March
- Flower colour: White
Magnolia - Magnolia
Galaxy
A modern hybrid Magnolia with lightly fragrant purple-pink tulip-shaped flowers.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Pink - dark
- Awards: RHS AGM (current)
Magnolia - Magnolia
Genie
Genie is a compact Magnolia, featuring large dark crimson flowers, with a subtle fragrance.£83.00buy- Flowering month: May
- Flower colour: Crimson
Magnolia - Magnolia
Honey TulipTM
Honey Tulip is named for its creamy honey-yellow tulip-shaped flowers.£83.00buy- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Cream
Magnolia - Magnolia
Iolanthe
Iolanthe is one of the most popular pink-flowered Magnolias.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Pink - light
- Awards: RHS AGM (former)
Magnolia - Magnolia
Joli Pompom
Best sellerThe flowers of Magnolia Joli Pompom are the purest sheen of icing sugar white.£83.00buy- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: White
Magnolia - Magnolia
Lv Xing
A dwarf Magnolia with white cup-shaped flowers, with a distinctive red base to the tepals. Sometimes known as Magnolia Sunrise.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: White
Magnolia cylindrica - Magnolia
Magnolia stellata
Best sellerPerhaps the best-known of all Magnolia species, Magnolia stellata features masses of star-shaped white or pale pink flowers.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: White
- Flower colour: Pink - light
Magnolia stellata - Magnolia
Magnolia wilsonii
This species of Magnolia has large bright white highly fragrant flowers.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: White
- Awards: RHS AGM (current)
Magnolia wilsonii - Magnolia
Premier Cru
An early-season Magnolia with dark crimson pink flowers opening to paler pinks.- Flowering month: March
- Flower colour: Pink - dark
Magnolia - Magnolia
Princess Margaret
An English Magnolia featuring large beautiful pink flowers.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Pink
Magnolia - Magnolia
Rebecca's Perfume
As the name suggests the light pink flowers of this Magnolia hybrid are attractively scented.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Pink - light
Magnolia - Magnolia
Sayonara
A vigorous Magnolia featuring large white goblet-shaped flowers.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: White
- Awards: RHS AGM (current)
Magnolia - Magnolia
ShirazzTM
Magnolia Shirazz features large crimson tulip-shaped flowers.£83.00buy- Flowering month: March
- Flower colour: Pink - dark
Magnolia - Magnolia
Spectrum
This upright hybrid Magnolia features dark pink tulip-shaped flowers.£83.00buy- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Pink - dark
- Awards: RHS AGM (current)
Magnolia - Magnolia
Star Wars
Star Wars features very long-lasting dusky-pink flowers and an upright habit.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Pink - dark
- Awards: RHS AGM (current)
Magnolia - Magnolia
Susan
A compact Magnolia with crimson / white scented flowers.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Pink - dark
- Awards: RHS AGM (current)
Magnolia - Magnolia
Sweet Merlot
Sweet Merlot is a compact Mangolia, with rich dark red wine-coloured tulip-shaped flowers.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Pink - dark
Magnolia - Magnolia
Sweet Valentine
A compact Magnolia with tulip-shaped crimson-pink flowers.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Pink - dark
Magnolia - Magnolia
Tina Durio
Tina Durio is a fast-growing Magnolia featuring bright white fragrant tulip-shaped flowers.- Flower colour: White
Magnolia - Magnolia
Watermelon
Watermelon is an attractive Magnolia featuring very large dark red semi-double flowers.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: Magenta
- Flower colour: Pink - dark
Magnolia - Magnolia
Wildcat
Wildcat features bright white chrysanthemum-like double flowers with an attractive floral scent.- Flowering month: April
- Flower colour: White
- Flower colour: Pink - light
- Awards: RHS AGM (current)
Magnolia x loebneri - Magnolia
Woodsman
Woodsman features dusky pink flowers with shades of yellow, green and cream.- Flowering month: May
- Flower colour: Pink - light
Magnolia x brooklynensis - Magnolia
Yellow Bird
A medium-sized late-flowering Magnolia, one of the best yellow-flowered forms for the smaller garden.£83.00buy- Flowering month: May
- Flower colour: Yellow
Magnolia x brooklynensis
How to choose Magnolia trees
Magnolias are one of the oldest genuses of flowering trees, and are today grown primarily for their attractive flowers. The flowers are primitive, and the petals lack the protective sepals found in most flowering trees which evolved later. Instead they have tepals, which perform both functions - but this is the main reason why it is best to plant Magnolias in sheltered locations.
Compared to other flowering ornamental trees, Magnolias seem to have an unsually wide colour palette, with white, pink, yellow, purple, and red varieties available. Many species are decidous but there are also semi-evergreen and full evergreen varieties. The genus is also geographically spread, with both Asian and American species. This diversity is perhaps a result of the great age of this genus, which dates back almost 100 million years, to a time when the continents we know today did not exist.
Magnolias do best in well-drained soils and sheltered conditions, but they need plenty of water over the summer - use a mulch to help retain moisture. They are tolerant of clay and some varieties will also tolerate chalk, but they generally prefer neutral or slightly acidic conditions. Many are also tolerant of air pollution so are a good choice for city gardens.
Magnolias do not like to be transplanted, so plant the tree directly in its final position. They have quite shallow roots, so avoid planting anything else nearby.
To encourage flowering use small applications of tomato fertilizer over the summer.
Magnolias are mostly very cold-hardy and suitable for all areas of the UK, but paradoxically frost can easily spoil the appearance of the blossom, hence the recommendation to plant in a sheltered position.
Magnolias generally need little or no pruning - but can be pruned hard after the spring flowering is over if necessary. Pruning can be used to check the height of the tree - remove the thicker branches and prune back to the smaller flower-bearing newer shoots. You can also remove lower shoots to give a more tree-like appearance, although many Magnolias have a naturally shrub-like habit and will produce new shoots from low down on the main stem.
Magnolias don't usually produce nectar (they arose before insects evolved) so are not particularly helpful for bees, but many of them produce seeds which are attractive to wildlife.
Most of our Magnolias are grafted on to Magnolia kobus rootstocks - which are robust and hardy, and do not produce suckers.
Hybrid Magnolias are likely to flower within 1-2 years after planting. Older varieties may take 3-4 years, and possibly as long as 5 years for species such as Magnolia sprengeri.