Magnolia grandiflora Brackens Brown Beauty

The Magnolia grandiflora 'Bracken's Brown Beauty' is a variety of large-flowered Magnolia with a beautiful pyramidal habit. It produces large creamy-white flowers in the shape of cups, with a delightful fragrance. Its dark green leaves with a glossy surface have a brown underside and are particularly decorative all year round as this tree is evergreen. Despite its exotic appearance, it is hardy and thrives in full sun in preferably neutral to acidic, well-drained, not too dry soil. A very good choice for small gardens that requires little maintenance.

Native to the Southeastern United States, the Magnolia grandiflora loves light, heat, humidity, and rich, deep soils. Its range extends from Texas to Virginia, including northern and central Florida. In France, this Magnolia was introduced as early as 1711 in Nantes, which has since been closely associated with this botanical genus. The city now houses a collection that is a national reference with over 300 varieties planted in the Beaujoire Park, an essential place for Magnolia lovers. The Magnolia grandiflora is hardy up to the Île-de-France region, where it may suffer from the harshest winters. The further north you go, the less it flowers, as it needs warmth to thrive.

'Bracken's Brown Beauty' is a very hardy cultivar, selected in the United States in 1985 for its columnar habit when young, later becoming pyramidal with age. At maturity, this variety will reach about 10m (32 ft 10 in) in height and 4m (13 ft 1 in) in width, making it well-suited for small gardens. Its late summer flowering, in August-September, is a true delight for the senses. Magnificent solitary creamy-white flowers, scattered around the branches, diffuse a sweet fragrance. Although short-lived, they renew regularly for several weeks and are remarkably enhanced by the shiny dark green foliage. The undersides of the leaves contrast beautifully with their lovely brownish hue. This selection is hardy down to -20°C (-4 °F).

The Magnolia grandiflora 'Bracken's Brown Beauty' is mainly used as a solitary tree in medium to large gardens, but can also create sumptuous vegetal curtains in group plantings and integrate well into a mass of acid-loving plants. The slender, elongated leaves of the Oxydendron arboreum as well as its tiny bell-shaped flower spikes will contrast with the more massive forms of the magnolia. And in autumn, the reddish-purple blaze of the Oxydendron will create a contrasting scene with the dark green leaves of our evergreen Magnolia. The surprising 'Vanille Fraise' Hydrangea with its large white, pink, and red panicles will also be a very good companion, in the foreground.