Michelia macclurel seed

LATIN NAME: MICHELIA MACCLUREI

COMMON NAME: MacClure’s Michelia

The MacClure michelia crowns the rounded head of the tree with the creamy-white, fragrant flowers through the early summer, the broad, glossy, evergreen leaves holding the dense green, and the whole tree carrying the quiet, handsome look of the magnolia family. The flowers open among the leaves, each bloom with the sweet, magnolia scent, and the clustered seed heads follow in the autumn. The bark stays smooth and grey, and the tree grows into the tall, neat-trunked tree of the warm forests. It likes the sun, the shelter, and the deep, rich, well-drained soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

Within the magnolia family, the michelias have their own recognised place, and the MacClure species appears in the studies of the southern hardwood forests and the plantation timber. The research covers the wood properties, the germination of the red seeds and the growth of the tree in the plantations, while the foresters value the straight, fine-grained timber. The horticulturists prize the fragrant flowers, and the collectors of the evergreen magnolias keep the species in their catalogues.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the warm garden and the timber forest alike, the MacClure michelia serves twice over. The fine, even-grained wood carries the furniture, the construction and the joinery, while the fragrant flowers fill the garden with the sweet scent in the early summer. The dense, evergreen crown gives the shade and the shelter, the birds take the seeds, and the tree holds the soil on the forest slopes. Useful and scented in one.

The MacClure michelia seeds start in a moist, rich loam kept shaded and bright. The seedlings are slow but sure, and they grow on with the glossy, evergreen leaves. Keep them in the sheltered spot through the first year or two, and give them the deep, rich, moist ground and the dappled light. They transplant well in the mild, humid climate, and the first fragrant flowers come within the few years. The timber value comes with the decades.

To grow the MacClure michelia from seed, sow the small, red seeds singly into the tray of moist, rich loam, then cover them lightly, keep the tray in the bright, shaded spot and water gently. The seedlings appear within a few weeks, and they grow on steadily. Settle the young trees in the sheltered, moist ground, and the scented crown will fill the air over the years.

Uses: Green Landscape