Magnolia campbellii


Magnolia campbellii, or Campbell's magnolia, is a species of Magnolia that grows in sheltered valleys in the Himalaya from eastern Nepal, Sikkim and Assam, India, east to southwestern China and south to northern Myanmar.

Description

Magnolia campbellii is a medium-sized to large deciduous tree growing to 30 m, rarely to 45 m, tall, with smooth grey bark. The leaves are 10–23 cm long and 4.5–10 cm broad, fuzzy underneath and with an acute apex. The flowers are very large, 15–25 cm diameter, with 12-16 tepals, which vary from white to dark pink. They appear very early, before the leaves, opening from late winter to early spring. After opening, the innermost tepals remain erect while the others spread widely. This arrangement may shelter the stamens and stigmas from rain, snow, and other harsh environmental conditions common during their very early flowering time period.
Hooker named the species after Archibald Campbell, Superintendent of Darjeeling.

Varieties

There are two varieties:
Magnolia campbellii is grown as an ornamental tree for its breathtaking flowers, though successful flowering is limited to mild areas with no late spring frosts. Magnolia campbellii var. mollicomata flowers slightly later and is less likely to have its flowers frost-damaged.
Young trees take a long time to reach flowering age and need deep, moist soil and a mild, sheltered site.

Cultivars

Several cultivars have been named, including 'Alba', 'Charles Raffil', and 'Strybing White'.
A number of hybrids with other Magnolias have also been developed.