Siebold’s Magnolia

From Japan, Korea and eastern China, Magnolia sieboldii flowers later and for much longer than most magnolias and is a strikingly beautiful plant for those with gardens large enough for it. It’s a large, deciduous, moderately vigorous shrub or small tree with a broad, rounded shape. In May egg-shaped buds open to give a stunning display of fragrant, well-presented, ivory-white, cup-shaped flowers with 1”/2.5cm bosses of vivid crimson stamens; flowering continues sporadically into August. The glossy green leaves are large, up to 6”/15cm long, almost oblong, with a distinctive pointed tip and blue-green, downy undersides. Very little pruning required; prune in late summer to prevent ‘bleeding’. Siebold’s magnolia is exceptionally hardy, good for colder gardens because the late flowers are unlikely to suffer frost damage.