Fragrant Magnolias

Our most fragrant magnolias. A magnolia flower is not just a colour, but also a fragrance. If you love romance, you will fall for the Heaven Scent magnolia and its pink tulips in April. Enjoy also the classicism and elegance of Magnolia grandiflora: their large white flowers have a lemony scent and stand out beautifully against evergreen foliage. Hybrid varieties of Michelia and Magnolia also offer enchanting fragrances: for example, Michelia 'Allspice' with its cream-white flowers that are powerfully scented from spring to summer, and the hybrid Michelia 'Fairy Blush' with delicately scented pink flowers from March. Much rarer, Magnolia hypoleuca (obovata) is distinguished by its immense leaves as well as its waxy flowers, cream washed with pink, beautifully scented. Inexperienced gardeners will not hesitate to adopt the Magnolia loebneri Leonard Messel, an excellent garden bush, undemanding, which is covered with pink and scented stars from March-April. The Soulangeana magnolia, very easy to grow, is also a safe bet with its massive and scented flowering in April-May.

Variable in height, deciduous or evergreen, magnolias can be tall trees from 10 to 20 m (33 to 66ft) in height or shrubs from 2.50 to 5 m (8 to 16ft) in height. Some bloom as early as the end of winter, others throughout the summer. They generally like moist, light and humus-rich soils, appreciate sun or partial shade and prefer, for the most part, a location protected from cold and dry winds. There are magnolias for every garden and some adapt very well to container gardening.