Latin name: Magnolia grandiflora
Description: Glorious evergreen shrub and one of the first flowering plants on the planet, making it another plant that was around at the time of the dinosaurs! This impressive magnolia can get rather large, so needs to be positioned well. The oblong, pointed, glossy, dark green leaves are velvety-matt brown on the under sides. The fragrant, large, bowl-shaped flowers (20-30cm across), are absolutely stunning, appearing intermittently from mid-summer to early autumn.
Hardiness: Hardy to -15C and lower
Height: 4-8m
Position: Full sun to dappled shade with protection from wind as the branches break easily
Soil: Any well drained soil with added organic matter
Water: Fairly drought tolerant once established
Usage: Superb as a specimen shrub or tree and also takes well to being trained against a south or west facing wall
Thu, Apr 10, 2008
Architectural