Magnolia Flower
I grow quite a few magnolias and would say that the flowers of this plant, “named for the flower it resembles” (APS registration) are less magnolia-like than those of ‘Garden Peace’ because of its large boss of stamens! Silvia Saunders referred to this as having a “big heart”.
It is a truly breath-taking beauty and the best of the few cultivars coming out of this cross. ‘Magnolia Flower’ is the plant on the left in the lower photo which was taken a few years ago. As you may have guessed by now, we also grow quite a few conifers but experienced gardeners can see where this scene is going! By 2020 the Chamaecyparis ‘Sungold’ was eating the peonies and they all needed new homes.
| Cultivar: | Magnolia Flower |
| Year: | 1949 |
| Seedling No: | 8388. Page 191 of Saunders’ Notebook I |
| Parentage: | 13: lactiflora 837 X wittmanniana (P. daurica ssp. wittmanniana – Hong) |
| Flower: | Color: | white with some mauve streaks |
| Form: | single, two rows of petals, outer petals often notched | |
| Blooms: | Week 5 | |
| Carpels: | 3, light (almost white) | |
| Stigmas: | dark red, purplish tone | |
| Disc: | dark pink, slightly visible | |
| Stamens: | filaments yellow, large number of stamens | |
| Plant: | Habit: | upright rounded bush |
| Foliage color: | medium green | |
| Foliage form: | fairly narrow | |
| Height: | 27″ in 2022 (2 years after moving so could be taller) | |
| Recommendation: | Highly recommended |
| Availability: | Few specialty nurseries |
