HomeblogCollector’s Item: Magnolias M. wilsonii If I could only use one species in my garden, I would gladly fill it with magnolias. They are the most beautiful, the most majestic and the most elegant trees. It isn’t just those enormous goblet-shaped flowers that stop me in my tracks every single time, but the huge leaves and the beautiful shape of the trees. If you’re as mad about magnolias as I am, then you’ll adore this collection of beautiful, rare and quirky magnolias from the holder of the national collection, the Caerhays Estate in Cornwall and its nursery, Burncoose. Visit Caerhays at this time of year and you’ll never want to leave those hundreds of fat-flowered trees. So here’s our pick of the bunch of the rarest and most beautiful magnolias that you can grow in this country. M. delavayi ‘Daybreak’ ‘Silver Cloud’ M. accuminata ‘Goldstar’ ‘Vulcan’ ‘Yellow Lantern’ ‘Solar Flair’ ‘David Clulow’ You can buy all of these beautiful magnolias and hundreds more from the Burncoose site, which also has a wealth of in-depth information about growing the species. Share this:Share 4 Responses Christine B. April 29, 2010 I’ll check out the site (and be stricken with a terrible case of gardener’s envy) but I’m afraid none of the Magnolias offered would want to live at my place. Alaska is not known for being Magnolia country. I’m just trying to coax my M. ‘Royal Star’ into bloom this spring. It made it through the winter, which was a bit shocking. Christine in Alaska Reply Catherine Horwood April 30, 2010 I absolutely agree about M. Wilsonii! Eight years ago I visited Maderia and one of the gardens at Palheira had several M. Wilsonii’s in flower - the scent from them was simply breathtaking. Ever since then I have longed to be able to have the space to grow one having only a roof garden at that time. [I do have a M. grandiflora 'Little Gem' in a large pot which has done well.] Now I’ve got a new garden in Suffolk, I think I’m going to risk it. Hopefully against a sunny south-facing wall, my dream will finally come true! Reply Sally Prichard May 12, 2010 I have a really magnificent Wilsonii (I think, though it can be quite pinky in hue). However, it is getting out of hand and beginning to sprawl taking over a large area of a garden and killing off nearly everything underneath. Any tips on how to cut/prune it back without damage to keep it looking its best? Reply Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published. Name* Email* Website Comment Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email.
Christine B. April 29, 2010 I’ll check out the site (and be stricken with a terrible case of gardener’s envy) but I’m afraid none of the Magnolias offered would want to live at my place. Alaska is not known for being Magnolia country. I’m just trying to coax my M. ‘Royal Star’ into bloom this spring. It made it through the winter, which was a bit shocking. Christine in Alaska Reply
Catherine Horwood April 30, 2010 I absolutely agree about M. Wilsonii! Eight years ago I visited Maderia and one of the gardens at Palheira had several M. Wilsonii’s in flower - the scent from them was simply breathtaking. Ever since then I have longed to be able to have the space to grow one having only a roof garden at that time. [I do have a M. grandiflora 'Little Gem' in a large pot which has done well.] Now I’ve got a new garden in Suffolk, I think I’m going to risk it. Hopefully against a sunny south-facing wall, my dream will finally come true! Reply
Sally Prichard May 12, 2010 I have a really magnificent Wilsonii (I think, though it can be quite pinky in hue). However, it is getting out of hand and beginning to sprawl taking over a large area of a garden and killing off nearly everything underneath. Any tips on how to cut/prune it back without damage to keep it looking its best? Reply
