Magnolia x lobneri 'Leonard Messel' (Leonard Messel Magnolia)
Botanical Information
Family | Magnoliaceae |
Genus | Magnolia |
Species | x lobneri |
Cultivar | 'Leonard Messel' |
Category | Woody |
Type | Tree (deciduous), Shrub (deciduous) |
Origin | Raised at what is now the National Trust garden, Nymans at Sussex sometime before 1950. It is thought to be a cross between M. kobus and M. stellata var. rosea. |
Details
USDA Hardiness Zone | 4 - 8 |
USDA Hardiness Ref. | |
Canadian Hardiness Zone | 5 - 8a |
Canada Hardiness Ref. | |
RHS Hardiness Zone | H7 - H4 |
RHS Hardiness Ref. | |
Temperature (°C) | (-32) - (-7) |
Temperature (°F) | (-25) - 20 |
Height | 4.5 - 6 m |
Spread | 4.5 - 6 m |
Growth | Medium |
Flowering Period | March, April |
Description and Growing Information
General Description | Single or multi-stemmed densely branched plant with a broad crown. Slow growing, small in size. White to pink flowers emerge before leaves in spring. |
Shape | Often multi-stemmed, oval or rounded crown. |
Landscape | Great for small spaces and is easy to maintain. Beautiful accent plant or single specimen for maximum display purposes. |
Propagation | By grafting, softwood cuttings in spring or early summer, and semi-ripe cuttings in late summer and autumn. |
Cultivation | Grow in moist but well-drained neutral to acid soil in sun or partial shade. Late frosts may damage flower buds. |
Notable Specimens | Caerhays Castle, Goran, Cornwall, United Kingdom. The Mac Cuddy Botanic Garden, Strathroy, Ontario, Canada. |
Habitat | Horticultural origin. |
Bark/Stem Description | Smooth, silver and grey on mature plants, chestnut brown on young branches. |
Flower/Leaf Bud Description | Densely fuzzy 1-1.5 cm long flower buds and smaller vegetative buds are greyish green in colour and grow alternately along the branch. |
Leaf Description | Alternate, sometimes whorled at the terminal, simple, broadly oval to oblong, 4.5-10 cm long and half the width, dark green above and light green beneath with fine hairs on the mid-rib. The 7-9 mm long petiole is light green. |
Flower Description | Faintly aromatic, white and pink flowers, 7.5-10 cm wide, 5 - 20 tepals, 3-4 cm long, slender and wavy. Flowers before leaves emerge which can get late frost damage if not grown in a protected area. Staggered blooming period in early spring. |
Fruit Description | Reddish-green, knobby aggregate fruit , about 5 cm long. Often drops before fully developed. Fruit mature and open in autumn at slits to reveal red-orange seeds. |
Texture Description | Medium to dark green in the summer, turning to yellow-bronze in early autumn. |
Photographs
Magnolia x lobneri 'Leonard Messel', form, Caerhays Castle, Goran, Cornwall, United Kingdom.
Magnolia x lobneri 'Leonard Messel', flower, Caerhays Castle, Goran, Cornwall, United Kingdom.
Magnolia x lobneri 'Leonard Messel', flower, Caerhays Castle, Goran, Cornwall, United Kingdom.
![](photos/Magnolia-lobneri-Leonard-Messel-cc-frm.jpg)
![Magnolia x lobneri 'Leonard Messel' in the Mac Cuddy Botanic Garden, Strathroy, Ontario, Canada. Magnolia x lobneri 'Leonard Messel' in the Mac Cuddy Botanic Garden, Strathroy, Ontario, Canada.](photos/Magnolia-×-loebneri-Leonard-Messel frm.jpg)
Magnolia x lobneri 'Leonard Messel' in the Mac Cuddy Botanic Garden, Strathroy, Ontario, Canada.
![Magnolia x lobneri 'Leonard Messel' in the Mac Cuddy Botanic Garden, Strathroy, Ontario, Canada. Magnolia x lobneri 'Leonard Messel' in the Mac Cuddy Botanic Garden, Strathroy, Ontario, Canada.](photos/Magnolia-×-loebneri-Leonard-Messel flw-2.jpg)
Magnolia x lobneri 'Leonard Messel' in the Mac Cuddy Botanic Garden, Strathroy, Ontario, Canada.
![Magnolia x lobneri 'Leonard Messel' in the Mac Cuddy Botanic Garden, Strathroy, Ontario, Canada. Magnolia x lobneri 'Leonard Messel' in the Mac Cuddy Botanic Garden, Strathroy, Ontario, Canada.](photos/Magnolia-×-loebneri-Leonard-Messel flw.jpg)
Magnolia x lobneri 'Leonard Messel' in the Mac Cuddy Botanic Garden, Strathroy, Ontario, Canada.
Awards
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