MAGNOLIA sieboldii  The summer flowering Magnolias should be wider planted as the beautiful flowers rarely suffer from frost damage! It is just a shame that they are all so similar! This makes a wide-spreading shrub with strongly lemon scented nodding flowers, 10-13cm wide, appearing with the leaves in June. The paper-white petals contrast strikingly with the cone of red stamens in the centre. Plants of the species will be grown from seed, and as such will take several years to reach flowering maturity. However, one can argue that they better retain the true elegance and characteristics of the species rather than the stiffer feel of some of the cultivars below. In several cases, their larger flowers are a result of chromosome modification. I can't deny that some of teh cultivars below are truly impressive.
	MAGNOLIA sieboldii 'Colossus' Essentially a larger flowered form of the species, this August Kehr selection is remarkable. Very fragrant white flowers are freely produced in June and are large - with 10 to 17 heavy-textured tepals. The leaves are also larger, though the tree itself seems to retain its modest, multi-stemmed habit.
	MAGNOLIA sieboldii 'Genesis' This tetraploid form has pure white flowers typical in size of the species, but the red stamens and subsequent seed are twice the normal size.
	MAGNOLIA sieboldii 'Genesis' x tripetala This polyploid hybrid from August Kehr (known initially as R.15-28) combines the best of both parents, to give large, heavily textured white flowers in early summer and large leathery leaves.
	MAGNOLIA sieboldii 'Genesis' x virginiana I don't know much about the origin of this one, but I just love this whole group. Although essentially variations on a theme, this one has narrower leaves reminiscent of its virginiana parent. The creamy white flowers in summer with their prominent red stamens are a real joy.
	MAGNOLIA sieboldii 'Michiko Renge' An amazing double flowered sieboldii selection from Japan.
	MAGNOLIA sieboldii 'Min-Pyong-gal' The leaves are a little narrower than is typical of M.sieboldii, but more importantly the flowers are flushed with pink.
	MAGNOLIA sieboldii 'Pride of Norway' This polyploidal derivative of M. sieboldii ‘Genesis’ has 9-10 tepals of great substance, resulting in a flower 15cm across. Very dark stamens are in sharp contrast to the pure white flower. It was raised by August Kehr in the USA but was named as a result of the positive reaction to it of Norwegian Magnolia authority Olav Kalleberg.
NEW	MAGNOLIA sieboldii subsp. sinensis 'Grandiflora' Egg shaped flower buds develop into nodding flowers which turn outwards as they expand. Essentially white, with the striking contrast of bright red stamens. Scented.
NEW	MAGNOLIA sieboldii subsp. sinensis 'Gwen Baker'
NEW	MAGNOLIA sieboldii x ashei
NEW	MAGNOLIA 'Simple Pleasures'
	MAGNOLIA 'Snow Goose' (M. x veitchii x M. x soulangeana) Pure white globular flowers with tiniest flush of pink, right at the base.
	MAGNOLIA 'Snow Queen' The pure white flowers are larger and bolder than those of M. x soulangeana ‘Lennei Alba’ with no basal staining. It is a vigorous grower and blooms late in the spring. A superb selection. Quite probably this should properly be called M. x soulangeana 'Pickard's Snow Queen'.
	MAGNOLIA 'Solar Flair' (M. x brooklynensis ‘Woodsman’ x M. ‘Gold Star’) Dating from the late 1990’s, this American culitvar produces heavily textured flowers of a rich yellow, late in the season. Its growth rate is fast, and the habit upright.
	MAGNOLIA x soulangeana 'Fukuju'
	MAGNOLIA 'Spectrum'  (M. liliiflora 'Nigra' x M. sprengeri 'Diva') A sister seedling to 'Galaxy', the flowers of this are if anything even larger! It is also of broader habit.
NEW	MAGNOLIA sprengeri 'Copeland Court' A seedling from M. sprengeri ‘Diva’ which was named in Cornwall around 1973. It forms a small to medium-sized tree with a symmetrical habit and prolific, uniformly deep, clear-pink flowers which are darker and brighter than those of its parent.
	MAGNOLIA sprengeri 'Dark Diva'
NEW	MAGNOLIA sprengeri 'Eric Savill'
	MAGNOLIA sprengeri 'Lanhydrock' Although this glorious seedling from M. sprengeri ‘Diva’ was registered by the Head Gardener at Lanhydrock in 1992, it actually originated at Trewithen (another famous Cornish garden) in 1969, having taken 11 years to flower. It has deeper flower colour than its parent, having been described as “cyclamen purple”.
	MAGNOLIA 'Spring Rite' (M. x soulangeana ‘Lennei Alba’ x M. x veitchii) A classic Gresham hybrid from 1962. The effect is of white flowers (25-30cm across) though they are stained with rose-pink at the base. The rich fragrance is a definite bonus.
	MAGNOLIA 'Star Wars'  (M. campbelllii x M. liliiflora) This one is (possibly) my favourite Magnolia! The outside of the flower is pink, but somehow a different pink to all the others - more apricot pink than purple - and creamy white within. The flowers are more star-shaped than most and last for about a month. Although large, they do not give the "blowzy" feel of some. It branches freely to make a broad headed small tree. 4m. We have found it to be a more reliable flowerer for us than its campbellii parentage led us to suspect. Starting mid season, it flowers for a long period.
	MAGNOLIA 'Stellar Acclaim' A M. acuminata hybrid of unknown parentage, the delightfully fragrant pale yellow flowers are flushed with at their base. Reminiscent of M. stellata in form, they open up very flat along the branches to 20cm across. Not overly vigorous, it will eventually make a small spreading tree of 6m, with very dark green foliage.