Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta
It’s April, and Sargent’s magnolia (Magnolia sargentiana var. robusta) is in bloom. There is nothing better than a tree that flowers before it leafs out. You get the feeling that the sky is blooming. This species is one of the most spectacular in flower. The variety ‘robusta’ refers to its flowers, which are even larger and more showy than the standard species. The flowers can reach up to 30 cm/1 ft across. And the tree can grow to 25 m/80 ft, giving lots of room for sky blooming.
Sargent’s magnolia is native to China (Sichuan and Yunnan) and grows in wet broad-leaved forests up to 3,000 m/9,000 ft. It has a wide distribution but is fragmented by forest clearance. Trees have been cut to plant an orchid (Gastrodia) used in traditional medicine. They’ve also been cut for wood as well as to gather the bark for medicinal uses. Because of this fragmentation, IUCN lists Sargent’s magnolia as Vulnerable (high risk of extinction in the future).
But this is ‘better’ than IUCN’s previous category for Sargent’s magnolia. It was listed as Threatened, a high risk of extinction right now. At that time it was thought only 40 to 50 trees remained in Yunnan. Later Global Trees Campaign field surveys done by a Sichuan/UBC Botanical Garden team recorded a total estimated population of 20,000.
I am hopeful for this Sargent’s magnolia and all other magnolias too. They arrived early in the evolution of flowering plants and have persisted through the eons.
More information on this magnolia.
More info on magnolias in general.
The pictures were taken in bed 127D in April. Three other Sargent’s magnolia were flowering nearby. Everybody was looking up. Not one head was down.
Text and photos by Hughie Jones