I love magnolias, in fact even the word “magnolia” makes me happy. Thank god I’m not going to have children because if I did I might just have to name our first born Magnolia, it could just almost be bearable for a girl child (no doubt she'd be called Maggie), but what a curse for a little boy.
![]()
The image at the top was taken in my garden, the one below was taken at Cistus Nursery when we visited last weekend…
![]()
And so was this one…
![]()
I’ve been in love with Magnolia laevifolia ever since spotting it in the Kennedy School garden years ago. I already had a couple of them in my garden but this one is a new addition, from my friend Bridget (she moved out of her garden (and house) a month or so back).
![]()
It’s crazy ahead of my own M. laevifolia, and that’s not a bad thing since it means the floral show will last longer if the plants space themselves out.
![]()
The fragrant white flowers make me weak in the knees, but if I had to choose I’d claim the brown fuzzy pre-flower bits as my favorite. They stick around for months!
![]()
But the blooms. They are pretty fabulous, and there are so many of them!
![]()
This is one of those plants that's suffered a bit of an identity crisis. As Cistus Nursery tells the tale... "Stunning plant! Recently called M. dianica and previously Michelia yunnanensis but this plant is always fabulous with its graceful, ropey foliage; profuse, intensely fragrant white blooms in spring and summer; and first rate cinnamon indumentum on the buds in autumn! Easily accepts sun to half shade with regular water. Frost hardy in USDA zone 8 and very possibly into mid zone 7."
![]()
And Xera Plants says "A wonderful evergreen shrub with rounded leaves that are deep green and backed with a brown indumentum which coats the stems as well. Conical growing to 10' tall and half as wide in 8' years. The flower buds are coated in brown fur as well and are formed in the previous year and are showy through the winter. They open to 6 petaled white very fragrant flowers in April and are profuse born along the lithe stems. Unlike other Magnolias they are not brittle and are not damaged in snow and ice bending easily. This undemanding and handsome shrub is at home in full sun as well as shade in well drained soil with regular irrigation though it is tolerant of dry conditions when established. There are other named forms of this shrub which we have found to be not as hardy to cold. This form is cold hardy to at least 5 °F and has performed for the last 12 years with no damage from the coldest temperatures."
![]()
I am irrationally in love with this plant. I'd love to be able to include 10 or 20 magnolias in our garden but realistically that's just not possible. This one however could fit in any and every garden. You need one, really. What are you waiting for?
![]()
Okay, rescue me from my magnolia madness...what are you in love with in your garden this week???
All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.
The image at the top was taken in my garden, the one below was taken at Cistus Nursery when we visited last weekend…
And so was this one…
I’ve been in love with Magnolia laevifolia ever since spotting it in the Kennedy School garden years ago. I already had a couple of them in my garden but this one is a new addition, from my friend Bridget (she moved out of her garden (and house) a month or so back).
It’s crazy ahead of my own M. laevifolia, and that’s not a bad thing since it means the floral show will last longer if the plants space themselves out.
The fragrant white flowers make me weak in the knees, but if I had to choose I’d claim the brown fuzzy pre-flower bits as my favorite. They stick around for months!
But the blooms. They are pretty fabulous, and there are so many of them!
This is one of those plants that's suffered a bit of an identity crisis. As Cistus Nursery tells the tale... "Stunning plant! Recently called M. dianica and previously Michelia yunnanensis but this plant is always fabulous with its graceful, ropey foliage; profuse, intensely fragrant white blooms in spring and summer; and first rate cinnamon indumentum on the buds in autumn! Easily accepts sun to half shade with regular water. Frost hardy in USDA zone 8 and very possibly into mid zone 7."
And Xera Plants says "A wonderful evergreen shrub with rounded leaves that are deep green and backed with a brown indumentum which coats the stems as well. Conical growing to 10' tall and half as wide in 8' years. The flower buds are coated in brown fur as well and are formed in the previous year and are showy through the winter. They open to 6 petaled white very fragrant flowers in April and are profuse born along the lithe stems. Unlike other Magnolias they are not brittle and are not damaged in snow and ice bending easily. This undemanding and handsome shrub is at home in full sun as well as shade in well drained soil with regular irrigation though it is tolerant of dry conditions when established. There are other named forms of this shrub which we have found to be not as hardy to cold. This form is cold hardy to at least 5 °F and has performed for the last 12 years with no damage from the coldest temperatures."
I am irrationally in love with this plant. I'd love to be able to include 10 or 20 magnolias in our garden but realistically that's just not possible. This one however could fit in any and every garden. You need one, really. What are you waiting for?
Okay, rescue me from my magnolia madness...what are you in love with in your garden this week???
All material © 2009-2014 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.