Magnolia delavayi - Chinese Magnolia

Magnolia delavayi is a superb ornamental tree of medium size, with large grey-green leaves. From mid-summer to autumn, large, delicately scented cream flowers cover the tree. Moderately hardy, it requires a location sheltered from cold winter winds, and prefers a sunny or semi-shaded exposure. It's suited to neutral to acidic, fertile, moist and well-drained soil. This Magnolia, an extremely rare species that can be described as a collector's tree, is a must-see!

Magnolia delavayi is a compact, moderately hardy tree with a rounded silhouette. Originating from China, it forms a branching structure, 10 m to 12 m (32.8 ft to 39.4 ft) in height and 8 m (26.2 ft) in width. Its evergreen foliage consists of large, tough and glossy grey-green oval leaves, carried by a petiole of 5 cm to 7 cm (2 in to 2.8 in). Its leaves measure 10 cm to 20 cm (3.9 in to 7.9 in) in length and 5 cm to 10 cm (2 in to 3.9 in) in width. From July to September, it adorns itself with large, fragrant, ephemeral, solitary cup-shaped flowers, measuring 10 cm to 20 cm (3.9 in to 7.9 in) in diameter, in cream or pale-yellow colour, taking on lovely peach-pink hues as they fade. They exhibit numerous stamens and a cone in their centre, and their 9 tepals are thick and waxy in appearance. After flowering, the cone remains on the tree until ripening.  The bark of its trunk is dark grey and furrowed. 

This rare Chinese evergreen Magnolia, with its splendid evergreen foliage and remarkable fragrant flowering, will work wonders in both a small-sized garden and a large park! Moderately hardy, it should be planted in a location sheltered from cold winds, in full sun or partial shade. Choose a rich, moist, even humid, but well-drained and non-calcareous soil. Also, make sure not to plant any other vegetation within 1.50 m (3.3 ft) of the Magnolia trunk, as its roots do not tolerate competition. It is most often used as a solitary subject in the middle of a short grass meadow, where its magnificent flowering is truly stunning. It can also be planted with a mass of acid-loving shrubs (Rhododendrons, Camellias, Hydrangeas, Nandinas, Tree or herbaceous Peonies, etc.) for a Japanese-style garden. Use this tree to create beautiful flowering hedges along pathways, alternating this Magnolia with other cultivars (Magnolia grandiflora, Magnolia denudata, Magnolia soulangeana, etc.).

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 evolutionarily close to the earliest existing flowers. The bark of magnolias has medicinal properties and is used in cosmetics. Their wood is considered precious.

Its name, Magnolia, was given to it in 1703 by Charles Plumier, botanist to King Louis XIV, thus paying tribute 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, delavayi, is derived from Father Jean Marie Delavay (1834-1895), a French Christian missionary in China, who collected a large number of plants from the Yunnan region on behalf of the Museum of Natural History in Paris.