Magnolia 'PEACHY' magnolia
Symbivit Tric (arbuscular)
Symbivit (arbuscular)Magnolia
The entire genus Magnolia belongs among the oldest flowering plants on Earth, with fossil evidence more than 95 million years old, documented from the Cretaceous period in North America, Europe and Asia. It is almost mind‑bending to imagine dinosaurs walking beneath them and pterosaurs gliding above their crowns while magnolias were already opening their first flowers. They evolved even earlier than bees, which is why their blossoms are adapted to beetle pollination – with firm, waxy tepals and resilient reproductive structures able to withstand the rougher handling of these early pollinators. Today the genus comprises around two hundred species, occurring mainly in eastern and south‑eastern Asia and in the eastern parts of North America, a distribution that reflects the ancient connection between continents and the climatic similarities of that era. In Asia, magnolias have appeared in traditional medicine and garden culture for centuries; in North America they held significance in indigenous traditions; and in Europe they began to be cultivated only from the eighteenth century onwards, when botanists brought them into the first collections. The genus was formally described by the French botanist Charles Plumier (1646–1704), who named it in honour of Pierre Magnol (1638–1715), an influential systematist of his time. The taxonomy of magnolias remained unsettled for a long period – some groups were treated as separate genera, such as Michelia or Manglietia, but modern molecular research has united them once again under a single genus, Magnolia.
Hybrid magnolias arise from several key parent species that recur in modern breeding thanks to their distinctive traits. The fundamental building block is Magnolia denudata, an ancient Chinese species with pure white, waxy flowers and robust buds, contributing elegance, early flowering and fragrance to hybrids. Magnolia liliiflora adds rich purple tones and a more compact habit, which is why its genes appear in popular crosses such as M. × soulangeana. Magnolia kobus is valued for its hardiness, reliability and ability to thrive in cooler regions, making it a parent that imparts strong branching and a willingness to flower even in less favourable conditions; it is also widely used as a rootstock. Magnolia stellata contributes delicacy, star‑shaped blooms and exceptional earliness, allowing some hybrids to open at the very beginning of spring. In recent decades, Magnolia acuminata, a North American species with yellow‑green flowers, has entered breeding programmes and enabled the creation of an entire palette of yellow‑flowered hybrids – from soft cream shades to deep canary yellow.
The history of magnolia breeding is remarkably rich and shaped by several influential figures, each of whom moved the genus forward in a different way. Étienne Soulange‑Bodin (1774–1846) gave the world its first large‑flowered hybrids and demonstrated the dramatic potential of interspecific crosses, laying the foundation of the European tradition. Max Löbner (1864–1934) brought reliability to colder regions through the hybrid M. × loebneri, still one of the hardiest magnolias grown today. Ernest Henry Wilson (1876–1930) greatly expanded the genetic base of the genus by introducing dozens of Chinese species to Europe and America, without which modern breeding would not exist. Phil Savage (1917–2000) opened an entirely new colour chapter by using M. acuminata to create the first truly yellow hybrids, while August Kehr (1914–1998) pushed boundaries through work with polyploidy, enabling larger, richer and more resilient flowers. The New Zealand Jury family – Felix Jury (1910–1995), Les Jury (1930–2019) and Mark Jury (1950) – gave magnolias elegance, colour and refinement, producing cultivars now considered the pinnacle of aesthetic breeding. Vance Hooper (1952) continued this line with modern cultivars bearing dark, almost wine‑coloured flowers and compact growth, whereas Todd Gresham (1922–1985) created robust, large‑flowered hybrids of exceptional vigour. The contemporary era is represented by Koen Camelbeke (1960), who combines botanical precision with modern breeding and focuses on late‑flowering hybrids that escape spring frosts. Together they form a lineage of enthusiasts who have turned magnolias into one of the most dynamically evolving groups of ornamental trees in the world.
Peachy is an impressive hybrid magnolia when it comes to both tree size and flower colour. It forms slender, almost fastigiate, tall shrubs or trees with fragrant flowers of a sweet peachy colour. They are composed of 9 petals 12-13 cm long and 4-5 cm wide, pale peachy-rosy-pink with orange, yellow, and green hues outside, and almost white inside. They open late in the magnolia season – in second half April or even early May on bare branches. Leaves are deciduous, elongated to narrowly obovate, medium green. Peachy grows fast reaching about 8m tall and 3m wide in 20 years keeping a handsome, fastigiate habit without spreading branches.
It is a cross between Fertile Myrtle (an acuminata hybrid) and Diva (a sprengeri variety) bred by Phil Savage in Michigan, USA, and selected by Richard B.Figlar from Pomona in New York in 1994. A sister variety is called Barbara Nell and has much paler flowers. Almost 20 years later the same crossing was used in Great Britain out of which rose magnolia Tropicana (2014) with similar colours but reduced tree size.
Magnolias are not supposed to be pruned. You can prune old shrubs if ill, or trim them to shape or to reduce size, or make an elementary cut to young plants of unsightly or unhealthy appearance. Do this as soon as possible after flowering to secure setting of flower buds for the following year. Be aware that each magnolia can respond differently to pruning.
Deciduous magnolias are quite easy plants. All they need is light, well-drained, acidic soil with equal moisture throughout the year. Once established they can do with occasional drought but will not look as nice as the ones with regular watering. Just pay attention to how you plant your magnolia. First, find it a spot where it will live forever and ever. It does not like transplanting. And as it makes shallow roots reaching well over its spread, stay away from disturbing the roots by digging or messing about around it. Just cover the soil with bark mulch and do not plant anything else near it after say the second year after planting onwards. You could damage the important top roots that absorb maximum moisture and nutrients from the soil. Also avoid planting magnolia too deep. Thus, you could be digging it a grave. Hardy to abt. -30 °C (USDA zone 5).
Last update 19-12-2020
Deciduous magnolias share broadly similar requirements. They prefer a sunny or lightly shaded position with deep, humus‑rich, evenly moist soil that must not be heavy or permanently waterlogged; they grow best in slightly acidic to neutral conditions, where they can develop a strong root system without stress. Young plants benefit from a mulch of leaf mould, which helps maintain stable moisture levels and protects the shallow roots from summer overheating and winter frost. Never dig a deep planting hole, as the roots may suffocate or sit in stagnant water, and choose a place where you will not dig or cultivate within at least two metres of the trunk – magnolias dislike disturbance and their root system spreads widely around the plant, reacting poorly to digging, cultivation or regular foot traffic. If planting a solitary specimen with an edging, place the edging at least 1.5 metres from the centre of the trunk.
Pruning is carried out only when necessary to reduce height or remove diseased branches, and always immediately after flowering, as later pruning would remove the developing flower buds; most species respond sensitively to cutting and can easily lose their naturally graceful shape. During dry periods, supplementary watering is important for young plants, while mature specimens are surprisingly tolerant of occasional drought and short‑term waterlogging – they generally appreciate consistent moisture. Most hybrids are sensitive to strong winds and exposed sites, especially large‑leaved cultivars whose young, tender foliage can be torn by gusts. Yellow‑flowered hybrids tolerate slightly more sun and heat, whereas crosses involving Magnolia stellata and M. kobus cope better with cooler positions and early spring fluctuations. All hybrid magnolias are non‑toxic to humans and pets, and although some species produce fruit, it is not intended for consumption. Cold hardiness varies with parentage, but most modern hybrids reliably withstand temperatures between –23 and –30 °C, while yellow‑flowered lines and evergreen types may require light winter protection.
