Magnolia x soulangeana

The flowers have a goblet shape and are cream-white, with a pink-purple flush at the base and white interiors. They bloom from an early age and are easy to cultivate. The flowering takes place in mid-spring. Magnolia x soulangeana is deciduous, not native to New Zealand, and a hybrid between Magnolia denudata and Magnolia liliiflora. Magnolia x soulangeana probably occurred spontaneously in Japanese gardens or nurseries a long time ago. However, it was first recognised from deliberate crosses made by Étienne Soulange-Bodin (1774 – 1846). Étienne was a retired cavalry officer in Napoleon’s army who became a plantsman and gardener. He first made the Magnolia x soulangeana cross in 1820 at his home in Fromont, France.