Just beginning to open outside our nursery office is the lovely Magnolia platypetala. Our specimen of this amazing Chinese native is now 24 years old. The fuzzy brown buds, which are beautiful in their own right, open to large, fragrant white flowers. When night temperatures drop below freezing, the petals melt, but are replaced the next day by more opening flowers.
Taxonomically, it’s often listed as a subspecies of Magnolia maudiae as well as Magnolia macclurei, but we’re sticking to it being its own species, since we grow both other species nearby.
Beautiful and late blooming. That’s a great combo. How far south will it grow, I wonder?
That’s a great question. It should be fine through Zone 9a/9b, at least.
Thanks for sharing! I love these winter blooming, evergreen species. I know y’all don’t do many trees, and I’m guessing this is tough to propagate, but if you ever put this into production I’d be thrilled.
I’ve grown Maudiae.
Although it’s very nice, (it’s the fav of a very good knowledgeable plantsman!),
I love platypetala.
Between individuals, flowers vary in shape between Waterlily like to lotus like in shape, in my limited experiences with growing them.