Magnolia Bianca – Magnolia Grandiflora

243

Its flowers, with a pure and very fragrant white, appear in the summer. The plant begins to produce its wonderful flowers only after a few years of growth: flowering usually occurs from March to September, depending on the different varieties. If the plant grows in the garden, to protect the butt from possible spring frosts, choose a variety of late flowering.

Also remember that Magnolia is a plant that occupies a lot of space, so put it in a place where you have the opportunity to grow and expand. They can measure up to 30 cm in diameter.

Scientific name: Magnolia Grandiflora
Popular names: White Magnolia, Perennial sheet Magnolia, Laurel Magnolia, Magnolia of Big Flores, Magnolia, Perennial Leaf Magnolia
Family: Magnoliáceas
Category: Trees, ornamental trees.
Climate: Mediterranean, subtropical
Origen: North America, United States
Height: More than 12 meters
Incandescent: Full sun
Vital cycle: Perennial plants

About Magnolia

The red seeds emerge from the fruits when they are ripe.

Magnolia, belonging to a family that includes more than 80 original species from Asia and America, is perfectly adapted to Europe.

The common name «Magnolia» currently covers more than one hundred species of trees and shrubs from Central America, North and Asia.

The first Magnolia arrived in Europe, a Magnolia Glauca, came from Virginia in 1688, sent by the missionary and botanist John Banister and was planted on the ground of the bishop of London, Fulham.

The name of the genre, before Linneeus, is due to Charles Plumier, botanist of the French monarch, who at the end of the nineteenth century. XVII therefore intended to pay homage to Pierre Magnol (1638-1715), author of the first classification of the plants in «Families» and director of the Botanical Garden of Montpellier, the oldest in France.

Families group trees with similar characteristics and what belongs to the Magnolia genre is called Magnoliaceae.

One of its distinctive characteristics is the particular shape of the tulip -shaped flower. It should be noted that the tulips (LirioDendrum Tulipifera) also belong to one of the ten genres of this family.

They are essentially trees and shrubs of large and hard leaf, deciduous or perennial. They are appreciated for their lonely, large, decorative and very fragrant flowers. The more deciduous species bloom very early, since February, while perennial leaves bloom in the summer.

The fruits are small cones full of red cereals.

Magnolias maintenance

• It must be cultivated in full sun, on deep and fertile soil, enriched with organic substance and regularly watering in the early years of sowing.
• It is a long -lasting tree and resistant to drought periods once well established.
• It has resistant leaves, covered with a thick hilly layer, adapts to the coastal regions and urban centers with high air pollution.
• It resists cold and light frost, but does not tolerate the intense cold of the temperate regions, with the exception of some selected cultivars.
• It is multiplied by seed, with a 50%approximate germination rate. Cultivars can spread graft plants produced by the seeds.
• They can be pruned when they are young to model or after flowering to rejuvenate them.

What plant plants motifs?

Magnolie prefer neutral soils, slightly acidic, fresh and rich in humus. Some species tolerate a pH greater than 7 but fear limestone soils.

Choose a mixture of original earth, half acid ground and manure.

How to cultivate Magnolia in the pot

• Sowing must be made during the month of October: place the seeds in a box and guide them in a cool and dry place.
• The germination period can vary from 12 to 18 months. Once grown, they transplant the seedlings into pots.
• The pot must be large enough, about 50 cm, and must be placed in a sunny area, although not excessively sunny.
• Ferteying should be performed once a year, during the autumn period.
• The replanting must be done in April.
• Easy to cultivate, it does not require special care: it recalls, however, that during the first years the irrigation must be quite abundant, therefore, as the plant grows, the amount of water can be reduced.
• The plant normally grows slowly, the flowers are quite large and are composed of 8-9 petals, while the leaves have an oval shape.

I knew …

Magnolia are considered the March flowers. Magnolia's cortex has medicinal properties and is used in cosmetics by its smell. Its wood is considered precious because it is solid, resistant and easy to work.