Magnolia

  • A traditional Magnolia with large white scented tulip-shaped flowers.

    • Flower colour: White
    • Flowering month: April
    • Flowering season: Early

  • As the name suggests, this Magnolia features huge flowers, with many shades of pink.

    • Flower colour: Pink - light
    • Flowering month: April
    • Flowering season: Mid-season

  • Black Tulip has deep ruby red flowers, the darkest of any Magnolia variety.

    • Flower colour: Crimson
    • Flowering month: April
  • In stock

    One of the smaller Magnolias, featuring large pink flowers.

    • Flower colour: Pink
    • Flowering month: April
    • Flowering season: Mid-season

  • One of the best yellow-flowered Magnolias, Daphne flowers over a long period.

    • Flower colour: Yellow
    • Flowering month: April

  • A good choice for your first magnolia. Large fragrant pink flowers and a neat upright habit.

    • Flower colour: Pink
    • Flowering month: April

  • Elizabeth is a small late-flowering Magnolia which displays yellow spring flowers on bare branches.

    • Flower colour: Yellow
    • Flowering month: April
  • Best seller

    The flowers of this Magnolia are a soft sheen of pure white, with a dark pink base.

    • Flower colour: White
    • Flowering month: April

  • Felix Jury is notable for its huge crimson purple flowers.

    • Flower colour: Pink - dark
    • Flowering month: April

  • A modern hybrid Magnolia with lightly fragrant purple-pink tulip-shaped flowers.

    • Flower colour: Pink - dark
    • Flowering month: April
    • Flowering season: Mid-season

  • Genie is a compact Magnolia, featuring large dark crimson flowers, with a subtle fragrance.

    • Flower colour: Crimson
    • Flowering month: May
  • Best seller

    The flowers of Magnolia Joli Pompom are the purest sheen of icing sugar white.

    • Flower colour: White
    • Flowering month: April
  • In stock

    An English Magnolia featuring large beautiful pink flowers.

    • Flower colour: Pink
    • Flowering month: April
    • Flowering season: Early

  • As the name suggests the light pink flowers of this Magnolia hybrid are attractively scented.

    • Flower colour: Pink - light
    • Flowering month: April
    • Flowering season: Early
  • In stock

    A vigorous Magnolia featuring large white goblet-shaped flowers.

    • Flower colour: White
    • Flowering month: April
    • Flowering season: Late

  • Magnolia Shirazz features large crimson tulip-shaped flowers.

    • Flower colour: Pink - dark
    • Flowering month: March
  • In stock

    This upright hybrid Magnolia features dark pink tulip-shaped flowers.

    • Flower colour: Pink - dark
    • Flowering month: April
    • Flowering season: Mid-season

  • Star Wars features very long-lasting dusky-pink flowers and an upright habit.

    • Flower colour: Pink - dark
    • Flowering month: April

  • A compact Magnolia with crimson / white scented flowers.

    • Flower colour: Pink - dark
    • Flowering month: April
    • Flowering season: Mid-season

  • Tina Durio is a fast-growing Magnolia featuring bright white fragrant tulip-shaped flowers.

    • Flower colour: White
    • Flowering season: Early
  • In stock

    Woodsman features dusky pink flowers with shades of yellow, green and cream.

    • Flower colour: Pink - light
    • Flowering month: May
    • Flowering season: Late

  • A medium-sized late-flowering Magnolia, one of the best yellow-flowered forms for the smaller garden.

    • Flower colour: Yellow
    • Flowering month: May

How to choose Magnolia

Magnolias are an ancient genus of flowering trees, 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.

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.

Magnolias are mostly very cold-hardy, but paradoxically frost can easily spoil the appearance of the blossom, hence the recommendation to plant in a sheltered position.

You will sometimes see particular Magnolia varieties described as "precocious". In the case of Magnolias this term has a specific meaning - the flowers are borne in advance of the leaves. This is considered a desirable quality because the effect of the flowers is, arguably, heightened when displayed against bare branches.

Magnolias generally need little or no pruning. If pruning is necessary it should  be carried out just after flowering is finished.

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.

Hybrid Magnolias are likely to flower within 1-2 years after planting.  Older varieties may take 3-4 years or so.