Magnolia Magic

With their elegant blooms and regal appearance, magnolias are considered the aristocrats of the garden. Here, Graham explores new varieties that are worthy of a place in your garden.

When we arrived in our forever garden in 1984, we planted a 10-year-old, rare, deep-pink-flowering star magnolia, ‘G.H Kern’. At the time, it joined a 70-year-old, cream-flowering Chinese Yulanmagnolia (M. denudata, syn. M. heptapeta) in the garden. The latter is a beauty of a masterpiece, much loved by Chinese Buddhist monks from 650 AD, and had played a major role in parenting new magnolias throughout the 18-19th centuries in UK and Europe.

Since then, magnolia breeding has continued to blossom, chasing bigger, beautiful, and better varieties. To gain a better understanding of this, I felt it was better to speak directly to some of the experts for their assessment of the exciting new varieties now available for home gardeners.

I spoke to two highly respected Australian nurserymen – Anthony Tesselaar of Anthony Tesselaar Plants and Leo Koelewyn of Coolwyn Nursery – for their suggestions of the finest deciduous and evergreen magnolias. Here are their recommendations.

Anthony Tesselaar Plants

Magnolia x ‘Burgundy Star’™

(Breeder Mark Jury, NZ)

Rich burgundy-red star-shaped blooms up to 25cm across. A strongly upright (fastigiate) form makes this magnolia ideal for a small garden.

Magnolia x ‘Black Tulip’™

(Breeder Mark Jury, NZ)

Loved for its deep purple tulip-shaped blooms that measure 15cm across. A small tree, growing 3.5m tall and 1.5m wide; it's one of the most sought-after magnolias for compact gardens. More wind tolerant than loose-flowered hybrids.

Magnolia x ‘Vulcan’™

(Breeder Felix Jury, NZ)

Perfect structured blooms that can be deep burgundy or medium pink depending on soil and weather conditions.

A compact tree, eventually reaching 4x4m. Perfect in a lawn or garden bed surrounded by daffodils in spring.

Magnolia x ‘Felix’®

(Breeder Mark Jury, NZ)

One of the largest single and showiest flowers of all the magnolias with blooms easily reaching 30cm across.

Lightly perfumed, growing 5x5m, spreading with age. A great lawn specimen.

Fairy Magnolias®

(Bred by Mark Jury, NZ)

Extremely floriferous and beautifully fragrant. Several colours in the Fairy Magnolia range, all bred by Mark Jury.

All have a compact, bushy growth habit, 3-4m high and 1.5-2m wide, with medium dark-green foliage. Ideal as small specimen trees or flower-smothered hedges.

Leo Koelewyn, Coolwyn Nursery

Magnolia x ‘Pink Pearl’®

(Bred by Leo Koelewyn, Coolwyn Nurseries)

This beautiful large evergreen shrub has small deep-green leaves and shiny copper-coloured flower buds along the branchlets. These mature into masses of lightly perfumed bright, deep pink flowers, making an impressive sight in late winter to early spring. Gorgeous specimen and an even better evergreen hedge growing 2.5mx2m in 10 years.

‘Pink Pearl’s’ complex breeding includes the port wine magnolia, which provides its perfume.









Magnolia grandiflora ‘Sweet n Neat’™

(Bred by Pat McCracken, USA)

This magnolia has the neatest deep-green foliage with heavy velvet indumentum (hairy reverse to the leaf).

Develops a neat multi-branched conical form. Beautiful 15cm wide, heavily perfumed white flowers appear throughout the warmer months of the year. The superior hedging form of M. grandiflora worldwide.

Magnolia x ‘Inspiration’™

(Bred by Barry Sligh, NZ)

This vigorous evergreen has deep-green foliage with light-blue-green undersides. Masses of 10cm wide white flowers adorn this small tree in late winter to early spring. A sight to behold coupled with a beautiful strong perfume.

Gorgeous specimen tree or trimmed hedge.

Magnolia x ‘Royal Purple’®

(Bred by Peter Cave NZ)

This small deciduous tree is an upright grower with large cup-shaped 20cm-wide luminous purple-red flowers in early spring. This fragrantly perfumed magnolia is considered by many to be the “ultimate” red, and a stunning sight particularly in twilight. A perfect specimen for the smaller garden. Grows to 3.5mx1.2m in 10 years.