PlantFiles: Yulan Magnolia, Tulip Tree
Magnolia denudata

Zone 9b, coastal Otago New Zealand

I cant believe no one else has posted about this classic mag yet! In many ways, this is the magnolia that everyone thinks about when they picture the tree, the gorgeous white cupped blooms on bare ornamental branches. None the less, for some reason it's not the most commonly grown species, perhaps because late frost in hard areas can catch the blooms and ruin them.

We dont have that problem here and the tree flourishes in our high rainfall conditions; it seems to tolerate wind pretty well too, handling our equinox gales, perhaps because its leaves come on later than other varieties.
Nor does it seem too fussy about soil; our region is generally clay-based and rubbishy but Ive seen these guys perfectly happy in many different situations. There is an ancient one up the coast planted by settlers near an abandoned cottage that is munched and trampled by cows and flowers like mad every year!

Sun is important for optimum blooming in all mags, and this would seem to be the only caveat; dont shade it out too much with larger trees. Otherwise it is happy to share.

I would rate this as one of the tougher magnolias, perhaps because it is a species and hasn't been selected too hard for flowering characteristics over general viability. I think it is of western Chinese and Himalayan origin.

You can prune these guys hard.