Magnolia x acuminata Blue Opal

The Magnolia Blue Opal is the first hybrid with blue flower buds, more precisely a bluish cerulean with a touch of gray. They open to yellow flowers with green reflections, albeit small in size, but offering a unique and refined color palette. Each flower is a beautiful surprise, standing like a small candle on young, tender green foliage. The flowering of this large bush with a broadly conical habit takes place in May-June. While all flowering magnolias are unforgettable, this variety is truly exceptional. Provide it with moist soil without excessive limestone and a sunny to partially shady exposure.

This Blue Flowered Magnolia, belonging to the magnolia family, is a recent American creation resulting from the cross-breeding between the vigorous Magnolia acuminata, a North American tree with yellow flowers, and the M. denudata, a Chinese tree with white flowers. A branched tree with an upright form, taller than it is wide, it reaches a height of about 6 meters (20 feet) at maturity, with a width of 3-4 meters (10-13 feet). Its growth is fairly rapid. Often presenting an open habit, it grows on a single trunk. Its deciduous foliage consists of obovate, dark green leaves, paler on the underside and finely hairy, turning yellow-brown in autumn, measuring 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in) in length. In May-June, solitary and erect flowers, measuring 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4in) in height, appear at the end of the branches, after the leaves have emerged. These fragrant flowers are formed by wide blue petals that turn bright yellow with a green wash as the flower opens. These flowers bloom from buds protected by silky bracts. It should be noted that this magnolia is relatively tolerant of limestone in the soil, although not in excess.

This Magnolia Blue Opal is not only an ornamental tree, but also a botanical curiosity that will be a pleasure to introduce to passing friends. It will make an impression in a small-sized garden and catch the attention of curious observers in a large park. It is most often used as a solitary specimen in the middle of a short grass meadow, where its unique spring flowering is most effective. But once the flowering is over, the small tree becomes inconspicuous. To take its place, also consider other small trees such as the Summer Tamarisk, the Wedding Cake Tree, or shrubs like mock oranges, lilacs, beautybush, botanical roses, and many more. The Daphne Magnolia can also be associated with a mass planting of acid-loving shrubs (Rhododendrons, Camellias, Hydrangeas, Pieris, Daphne, Witch-hazels...), for a Japanese-style garden. It is also possible to create beautiful flowering hedges along pathways, alternating this Magnolia with other cultivars (Magnolia grandiflora, stellata, Magnolia denudata...). Its root system is not a danger to foundations, so it can be planted against a house wall.

Anecdote:
Magnolias are ancient trees, with fossils dating back more than 20 million years. Their magnificent flowering is considered one of the most primitive: their flowers are, from an evolutionary point of view, similar to the earliest existing flowers.
The bark of magnolias has medicinal properties and is used in cosmetics.
Their wood is considered precious.

Historical:
It was named Magnolia in 1703 by Charles Plumier, botanist to King Louis XIV, paying homage to the physician-botanist Pierre Magnol (1638-1715), who was one of the directors of the Botanical Garden of Montpellier in the late 17th century. Its specific name, soulangeana, originates from Etienne Soulange-Bodin (1774-1846), a retired cavalry officer from Napoleon's army who dedicated himself to horticulture. In his château de Fromont, near Paris, he became passionate about magnolias and obtained this hybrid in 1829, the origin of a magnificent lineage of cultivars today!