Magnolia Cultivars D

'D.D. Blanchard'

See Magnolia grandiflora ‘D.D. Blanchard’.

'Daisy Diva'

Flowers precocious, along the branches during April (S England), opening flat or beyond, to 30 cm across; tepals 12–14, white stained purple at the base. A small tree selected 1986 from Magnolia Society International seed by Mike Robinson, England (Callaway 2000).

Magnolia 'Daisy Diva' (Arboretum Wespelaar, 8th April 2016). Image Christophe Crock.

Magnolia 'Daisy Diva' (27th February 2019). Image Caerhays Estate.

'Daphne'

Flowers emerging with the leaves, erect; inner tepals deep yellow, ~9 cm long; outer ones yellow-green, ~3 cm. Small, compact tree suiting smaller gardens. A complex backcross: six of its eight great-grandparents are M. acuminata, the other two being M. liliiflora and M. denudata. Raised by August Kehr; selected at Arboretum Wespelaar by Philippe de Spoelberch, about 2000 and still highly rated by him (pers. comm. 2021). One of the finest yellow flowered hybrids.

Magnolia 'Daphne': one of the finest yellow-flowered hybrids (16th May 2016). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Daphne' – an old stock plant resplendent at Cherry Tree Arboretum, Shropshire, UK. 11 May 2023. Image Tom Christian.

Magnolia 'Daphne' (24th April 2018). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Darjeeling'

See Magnolia campbellii ‘Darjeeling’.

'Dark Shadow'

Flowers precocious but late, goblet-shaped, 10–13 cm across, rich red-purple outside, ivory-white inside, a dramatic contrast; buds extremely dark ruby. A small tree flowering late enough to be recommended even for N Florida (G. Knox in Williams 2014); frost damage to flowers is a particular problem with Gresham hybrids in the American Southeast (M. Lobdell, pers. comm. 2022). A Gresham hybrid selected in the 1980s by John Giordano; parentage uncertain but probably (M. × veitchii) × (M. × soulangeana cv.).

'Dark Splendor'

See Magnolia × soulangeana ‘Dark Splendor’.

'Darkest Purple'

See Magnolia liliiflora ‘Darkest Purple’.

'Darrell Dean'

Flowers precocious, very large, to 30 cm across, deep pink-red, goblet-shaped with 9–12 tepals, tending to face outwards when fully open. A small tree selected from Gresham hybrids before 1984 by Ken Durio, named for his late son Darrell Dean Durio (Fogg & Del Tredici 1984).

Magnolia 'Darrell Dean' (3rd April 2011). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Darrell Dean' (18th April 2010). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'David Clulow'

Flowers precocious, very large with cup-and-saucer form, white with a hint of pink at the tepal bases. A vigorous small to medium tree of uncertain parentage selected from Gresham hybrids by John Giordano before 1998, named for an enthusiastic English grower of orchids and magnolias. ‘Best white Gresham’ writes Philippe de Spoelberch (pers. comm. 2021). It is indeed one of the very finest white flowered magnolias for general garden use.

Magnolia 'David Clulow': one of the best white-flowered hybrids (Herkenrode, 28th March 2017). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'David Clulow' (RHS Rosemoor, 15th March 2022). Image Julian Sutton.

Magnolia 'David Clulow': a vigorous and floriferous hybrid (Herkenrode, 28th March 2017). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Dawn'

See Magnolia stellata ‘Dawn’.

'Daybreak'

Flowers late but still before the leaves, intensely fragrant, to 25 cm across; tepals 8, vivid rosy pink, splaying outwards. An upright, strikingly columnar, small to medium tree, flowering freely from a young age. Raised before 1989 by August Kehr, NC, who rated it among the best of his many hybrids. Highlighted by Philippe de Spoelberch as ‘late, vigorous, different’ (pers. comm. 2021), and by Williams, Gardiner & Gallagher (2016) as an up-and-coming cultivar in Europe.

Magnolia 'Daybreak' has large, highly fragrant flowers (8th April 2017). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Daybreak' (8th April 2017). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Daybreak' showing its upright, columnar habit (8th April 2017). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Deep Purple Dream'

See Magnolia × soulangeana ‘Deep Purple Dream’.

'Delia Williams'

Flowers large, precocious and early, cup-and-saucer shaped; tepals rich pink outside, paler inside, but fading towards white and quickly falling. A broad, medium tree. Originated at Caerhays Castle, Cornwall, a seedling planted in 1964. Delia Williams was married to F. Julian Williams, previous custodian of Caerhays (Edwards & Marshall 2019; Boland 2010).

Magnolia 'Delia Williams' (4th March 2021). Image Caerhays Estate.

Magnolia 'Delia Williams' (4th March 2021). Image Caerhays Estate.

Magnolia 'Delia Williams' (20th February 2020). Image Caerhays Estate.

Magnolia 'Delia Williams' (Caerhays Castle, 1st March 2020). Image Julian Sutton.

'Diva'

See Magnolia sprengeri ‘Diva’ and wider discussion under M. sprengeri.

'Donna'

See Magnolia × loebneri ‘Donna’.

'Dr Massey'

See Magnolia stellata ‘Dr Massey’.