The magnolia (Magnolia × soulangeana) in the Japanese Tea Garden of the Dubbo Regional Botanic Garden is a vision of beauty at present. The delicate white blooms, lightly tinged with pink are making visitors pause in wonder.
Magnolias are an ancient genus which according to fossil records were once widely distributed across the globe. Continental drift and competitive pressures from more robust and faster growing trees led to the genus becoming extinct in many areas. Consequently, the 80-210 (depending upon the system of classification) species of magnolias have a ‘disjunct distribution’ that is to say, they may be found in different unconnected parts of the world. Magnolia species are now found in eastern and central Asia (including the Himalayas) and North and Central America.
Magnolias can be traced back to the Mesozoic Era, the time of the dinosaurs. They were one of the first flowering plants and evolved to be pollinated by beetles rather than bees. The flowers do not produce nectar but they do produce large quantities of pollen which beetles use for food. Hence the carpels of the magnolia flower are relatively sturdy, to protect against damage from crawling and eating beetles.
The stunning Magnolia × soulangeana was created in France by a retired cavalry officer of Napoleon’s army. Étienne Soulange-Bodin (1774–1846) created the hybrid by crossing two species from South East Asia, Magnolia denudata and M. liliiflora. It is now one of the most widely used magnolias in horticulture.
A magnolia species from the United States is also featured in the botanic garden. Magnolia grandiflora is native to the south-eastern United States and the state flower of both Mississippi and Louisiana.
Magnolia grandiflora may be found in Shoyoen, and the dwarf cultivar, Magnolia grandiflora “Little Gem” may be found in the Sensory Garden.
By Ian McAlister & Karen Hagan