Yulan Magnolia
 

Mature Size, Growth, Longevity

Average mature size of 30-40' tall and wide. Slow to medium growth rate. Medium lifespan, 100 years.

Native Range

Eastern and southern China introduced 1789. .

Flower and Fruit Details

Flowers are fragrant, goblet-shaped, 9-12 petals, white to ivory, 5-6" across. Fruits are conelike, 4-6" long, rose-red with maturity.

Leaf and Bark Features

Leaves are obovate (to 6" long), dark green above and light green below. Dull yellow fall color. Bark is gray-brown.

Culture and Care

Transplant in winter and early spring. Best grown in moist, organically rich, well-drained loams in full sun to part shade. Generally intolerant of dry or wet soil extremes. Zones 5-8. Essentially free from disease and insect problem s. Responds to early warm spells flowers often injured by late frosts. The cultivar 'Wada' flowers later to avoid frosts, but has smaller flowers.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts

One of the most loved of all Magnolia species. Called the "Yulan" or "Jade Lily" by the Chinese, the exquisite lily shape of the blossoms with their pure white petals, has the longest history of cultivation of any going back to the Tang Dynasty - 618 AD.

Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA