Saucer Magnolia seed Magnolia × soulangeana
LATIN NAME: Magnolia x soulangeana
COMMON NAME: Saucer Magnolia
The saucer magnolia is the small, elegant tree that carries the huge, goblet-shaped flowers before the leaves open. The branching, deciduous tree carries the broad, oval, dark-green leaves, and the big, fragrant, white flowers flushed with pink and purple open in the early spring on the bare branches, one of the great sights of the season. The tree is a hybrid of two of the old garden magnolias, and it is one of the most planted of the flowering trees of the temperate gardens. It is a tree of the deep, rich, well-drained ground and the open, sunny spot.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The saucer magnolia has carved a quiet but solid place in the plant science, and the tree has been studied for the huge, goblet-shaped flowers and its fine place among the old garden magnolias. The way the big, fragrant flowers open before the leaves has been studied at length, and the tree keeps showing up in the work on the ornamental flowering trees and the garden hybrids. The broad, oval leaves and the fine, branching habit have also made it a fine garden tree, and the hybrid origin of the saucer magnolia holds a steady place in the studies of the plant breeding of the old gardens.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
The saucer magnolia does a lot of work in the garden. The huge, fragrant, white and pink flowers are one of the great sights of the early spring, and the small, elegant tree is one of the most planted of the flowering trees of the temperate gardens. The broad, oval, dark-green leaves give it a fine, calm presence through the summer, and the tree is an easy, generous choice for the lawn, the border and the large container. It has been written up in the horticultural papers for the fine, early flowers and the ease of the tree, and it is a fine, long-lived tree of the deep, rich, well-drained garden.
The saucer magnolia is one of the great flowering trees of the spring, and the huge, goblet-shaped flowers open on the bare branches before a single leaf appears. The broad, oval leaves follow and carry the tree quietly through the summer, and the hybrid origin of the tree, from two of the old garden magnolias, gives it the fine, big flowers and the hardy, easy ways.
To grow the saucer magnolia from seed, give the seeds a spell of cold, moist storage, then sow them at a shallow depth in pots of moist, free-draining soil, covering them thinly, keep them in a bright, sheltered spot and water gently. The seedlings appear within a few weeks and grow on steadily. With the sun, the shelter and the deep, rich, well-drained ground, the big, goblet-shaped flowers will come in a few seasons.
MAGNOLIA SOULANGIANA
This is a magnificent tree and very hardy in temperate climates. They are a bit slow to progagate but given that Magnolia can cost up to £20.00 for a small tree it is the most economic way of having these beauties in your garden and far more satisfying.
Hardy Zone 4-9
Habit Deciduous
Growth rate -moderate
Forms upright growth in youth, and wider spreading around maturity
Height 15-25ft
Width 15-25ft
Leaf 3-6 variable autumn colours
Flowers white, pink and purple in early spring
Comments Plant late- flowering cultivars to avoid frost damage.
Traditional Uses for Magnolia Bark and Flowers according to Dawn Smith.
Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners have been using magnolia bark for centuries. Noted for clearing head/chest congestion and relieving vomiting and diarrhea, research has now shown that magnolia bark has an antibacterial effect against several species of Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and Shigella. Its value in treating amoebic dysentery has also been proven.
Magnolia flowers are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat nasal congestion and sinus problems. Now the flowers have also been shown to help in treating hypertensionand fungal infections of the skin (dermatomycoses).