Magnolia
Of all the flowering shrubs and trees, the most evocative of spring is Magnolia.
An ancient woody plant, with a fossil record that dates back 100 million years, magnolia has a simple but large and showy flower structure, with six or more tepals (neither petal nor sepal) spiraling in whorls. White and pink flowers are well known, but there are yellow, purple, and wine cultivars, plus near-orange and near-red.
Species Information — click image
Map of Magnolias at the Garden
Key
Wada's Memory Magnolia—Link between parking lots 3 & 5
Star Magnolia—Farwell Landscape Garden, Graham Bulb Garden, Evening Island, Malott Japanese Garden
Randy Magnolia—Farwell Landscape Garden
Jane Magnolia—Farwell Landscape Garden
Susan Magnolia—Graham Bulb Garden
Merrill Magnolia—Graham Bulb Garden, Malott Japanese Garden
Royal Star Magnolia—Sensory Garden
W.B. Clarke Magnolia—Lakeside East
Alexandrina Saucer Magnolia—English Walled Garden
The Plant Lover’s Guide to Magnolias
Magnolias for fragrance…magnolias for small spaces…evergreen magnolias…plant expert Andrew Bunting sorts through the world’s magnificent magnolias in The Plant Lover’s Guide to Magnolias, the newest book in The Plant Lover’s Guide series.
Bunting, the Chicago Botanic Garden’s assistant director and director of collections, offers species recommendations, talks interesting landscaping ideas, and explains the world of magnolia hybrids in practical and useful detail.
GardenGuide App 2.0
Use our app to tour all of the interesting and unusual magnolias you see here. Share the plants you love, learn more about each species, and put GPS technology to practical use during your visits with our app.
Magnolia Information from the Experts
12 Plants for a More Fragrant Garden