Magnolia soulangeana Lennei

Magnolia x soulangeana 'Lennei' or Saucer Magnolia is a hybrid famous for its large, long-lasting two-toned spring flowers. From April to May, its large tulip-shaped flowers with fleshy dark pink to purple petals and pure white to pinkish-white centres appear on its beautiful bare framework, offering one of the most lavish and romantic displays of spring! It forms a large shrub or small tree often with several trunks dividing into large framework of branches with a beautifully spreading crown which makes it suitable for planting as a free-standing specimen or in beds. It will reach 5m (16ft 5 in) in height and spread when fully grown and is therefore best suited for medium to large gardens. A glade or light-woodland species, it is very easy to grow in full sun or partial shade in a sheltered location, in deep, rich, moist, well-drained, soil with little to no chalk. Despite its excellent hardiness, its flower buds remain sensitive to late frosts.

Magnolia x soulangeana 'Lennei' belongs to the Magnoliaceae family. It is a hybrid whose origins are unknown, resulting from a cross between Magnolia denudata and Magnolia liliflora, both native to Asia. The cultivar was named after the German botanist Peter Joseph Lenné, who discovered it in the mid-19th century in Lombardy, Italy. This fast-growing tree reaches 5 m (16 ft 5 in) in height and spread at maturity. It often has an upright to spreading habit with a well-balanced and beautifully branched structure, and it can also grow on multiple trunks. Its deciduous foliage consists of obovate, dark green leaves with a paler and finely-haired underside, turning yellow-brown in autumn, and measuring 10 to 15 cm (3.9 - 5.9 in) long. From April to May, depending on the area, before and after the leaves, large solitary and slightly fragrant, cup or tulip-shaped flowers appear, 15 cm (5.9 in) in length and width, ranging from dark pink to purple on the outside, and pale pink to white on the inside. These upright flowers open from buds protected by velvety bracts, and are composed of 9 waxy and thick tepals (indistinguishable sepals and petals) that open wide around a core of reddish-brown stamens. After flowering, brown cone-shaped fruits appear, containing red seeds. The Saucer Magnolia can live for over a hundred years. Along with its hybrids, it is one of the most widely planted Magnolias in parks and gardens throughout Europe.

Magnolia x soulangeana 'Lennei', an exceptional ornamental tree, will create just as much of a sensation in a medium-sized garden as it will in a vast park! It thrives in any good garden soil that is not too chalky. Be careful not to place other plants within 1.50m (4 in 11 ft) of the Magnolia's trunk, as its shallow roots do not tolerate competition. A real star at flowering time, it is most often used as a free-standing specimen in the middle of a lawn, near a bench, or at the entrance of a garden. The key is to choose a strategic location from which it can be admired from a window. It can also be used in a border of ericaceous shrubs (Rhododendrons, Camellias, Hydrangeas, Kalmia) for a Japanese-style garden.

Magnolias are ancient trees, with fossils dating back over 20 million years. Their magnificent flowering is considered one of the most primitive: their flowers are close to the earliest existing flowers in evolutionary terms. The bark of magnolias has medicinal properties and is used in cosmetics. Their wood is considered precious.

A bit of history:
Its name, Magnolia, was given to it in 1703 by Charles Plumier, botanist to King Louis XIV, paying tribute to the physician-botanist Pierre Magnol (1638-1715), who was one of the directors of the Montpellier Botanical Garden in the late 17th century. Its species name, soulangeana, originates from Etienne Soulange-Bodin (1774-1846), a retired cavalry officer in Napoleon's army who devoted himself to horticulture. At his château in Fromont near Paris, he became passionate about Magnolias and bred this hybrid in 1829, the origin of a magnificent lineage of cultivars today!