Wikimedia Commons
Magnoliaceae
Pink Magnolia
Magnolia × soulangeana
Dignity, nobility, and the return of spring.
- Family
- Magnoliaceae
- Genus
- Magnolia
- Native to
- hybrid origin; parents from China and Japan
- Bloom season
- Early Spring
- Type
- deciduous tree
- Height
- 400–800 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- rich, moist, slightly acidic
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 4–9
- Lifespan
- perennial tree; 100+ years
Did you know
- This is the world's most popular magnolia hybrid, first created by French cavalry officer Étienne Soulange-Bodin in 1820.
- Magnolias are among the oldest flowering plants — fossils date to 95 million years ago, before bees existed.
- The flowers evolved to be pollinated by beetles rather than bees, with tough tepals that resist beetle chewing.
- A late frost can ruin an entire season's blooms overnight, which is why gardeners anxiously watch spring forecasts.
- Soulange-Bodin famously said he created the hybrid because after the Napoleonic Wars, swords should be turned into pruning hooks.
Color meanings
Pink
feminine grace and youth
White
purity and perfection