There a few plants that flower so gracefully and add so much to the garden for a brief period then the elegant magnolia, writes Tim Keyworth. To see them thrive is one of the joys of moving from managing a garden in the north east of Scotland where they struggle to the west where they flourish in our milder climate. There is nothing more disheartening then watching a magnolia bud up, about to break out in to flower, only for a sharp frost to snatch away its splendour for the season.
Astonishingly the magnolia has been traced as far back as 100 million years and is thought to be one of the most important plants in evolutionary history. It once thrived over many continents and countries but it is now only indigenous to China and the southern most parts of the United States. The earliest drawings known of the plant date back to Aztec times and it has been traditionally used in herbal medicine. The magnolia takes its name from the French botanist Pierre Magnol, who was one of the first people to properly record this plant in around 1700.
Today there are thought to be somewhere in the region of 80 species of which half are classed as tropical. Here are a few of my favourites; The Campbell magnolia, magnolia campbellii ‘Alba’. There are a few of these at Brodick Castle. The best example is down by the pedestrian entrance not far from the Horlick collection. A pure white form, it can be seen from the bay. Very large flowers followed by rather striking seed pods. They are a feature but are weird and gruesome looking enough to be frequently used at our Halloween event. Large, broad leaves with a noticeably fuzzy underside. Magnolia campbellii ssp. mollicomata. This one is very similar to the standard Campbell magnolia but has a few noticeable differences. The tree has a slightly more open growth habit, the flowers have a slightly purple tinge and the buds are a bit hairier. This one is a particularly fine specimen because from the Middle rhododendron walk you look down on its showy blooms perfectly. Magnolia sieboldii. Otherwise known at the Chinese Magnolia. This is a large shrub with a bushy habit. It comes in to its own later in the season. The flowers are cupped shaped and fragrant, with a red and yellow centre. It is in my opinion a really classy plant and the easiest one to find at Brodick is in the walled garden.