This Magnolia arrived from a French friend who received seeds from the Kunming BG, Yunnan in 2003. I have been checking on it the past few years thinking it is about time that it flowered. Last year there were a handful, but not enough of a display to judge the tree. But this year it has really started to perform with a fine show over an extended period. It belongs to Sect Michelia so plenty of flowers along the branches and also with very long pedicels which shows the flowers clear of any foliage adding to the overall effect.
The seedlings were labelled as M. pachycarpa and at one stage I thought it may have been lacei but with the help of Jan de Langhe we are confident in its present name. (In the past seed has come from Botanic Gardens >> when there are many in close proximity these often turn out to be hybrids). Most Michelia plants are Spring flowering which adds to the intrigue of this species flowering in mid Summer. The lower image of the fruit cluster was a slide taken in Southern China in 1994 when we were on a trip with Kunming botanists. The fruit looked perfectly ripe but none germinated from this collection and it has taken another 30 years or so to see the real thing flowering, well worth the wait and a great addition to the garden in June…..
