I first saw a yellow-flowering magnolia from a bus in Suzhou in China. I jumped up with excitement but the trees vanished before I could photograph them, leaving me with a vision of bare branches wreathed in goblet shaped, magnolia flowers in a colour I’d never dreamed existed.
It didn’t occur to me that one day I might own one myself. But a few years later I had an amazing stroke of luck when a friend gave me a beautiful, two year old specimen of yellow-flowering Magnolia “Elizabeth” for my birthday.
We planted it in a corner that I hoped would shelter it from a late frost and this spring it flowered properly for the first time.
“Elizabeth” is a hybrid between the North American Cucumber Tree (Magnolia acuminata) and the Yulan Magnolia (M. denudata), the official flower of Shanghai.
The Cucumber Tree has small (5-10 centimetres long), greenish-yellow flowers in late spring and is named after the warty, cucumber-like seed pods that follow. It is a large tree (30 metres in the Appalachian Mountains), grown primarily for its foliage that turns pale gold in autumn. It is the only deciduous magnolia with even faintly yellow flowers and there is a southern variety, M.acuminata subcordata (syn. M. subcordata) with flowers of true yellow.
A magnolia is probably the most rewarding tree you can grow. Magnolia trees look distinguished year round whether they’re bare, in flower or in leafy summer growth.
Deciduous magnolia flower colour is generally white, pink or purple but breeders are ever on the hunt for novelty and though there are evergreen magnolias with rich, creamy flowers, botanists generally accept that you can’t cross evergreen species with deciduous.
There are few things as breathtaking as a fully grown magnolia with bare branches covered in extravagantly large bloom, as everyone familiar with pink M. campbellii or pure white M. denudata knows, so the challenge was on to produce a variety bearing yellow flowers. Finally in 1956 Brooklyn Botanic Garden achieved success using species from opposite sides of the planet: the American Cucumber Tree and the Chinese Yulan. A clone was selected and named in 1978 in honour of Elizabeth Scholz, the garden’s director. Since then several more yellow flowered magnolias have appeared from crosses using M. subcordata, including the clear yellow “Butterflies”.
A magnolia is probably the most rewarding tree you can grow. Magnolia trees look distinguished year-round whether they’re bare, in flower or in leafy summer growth, and are perfect to plant near the house. They like deep well-drained soil and shelter from strong wind when young. Magnolias “Elizabeth” and “Butterflies” are available by mail order from Conifer Gardens Nursery, Ferny Creek, 3786. Phone 03 9755 1793.
Merriwa Garden Ramble is on this weekend, eight gardens cost $20, concession $15, tickets from Di’s Clothing Patch, Sylvia’s Café or at gardens. Cottage, town gardens and country gardens, historic properties, forested garden on rocky knoll with mountain views, productive vegie garden. Music, refreshments, talks on waterwise gardening and composting. Proceeds to the Anglican Church. Phone Ted Finnie, on 02 65485171, email: tjfinnie@skymesh.com.au/