Magnolia Cultivars N–O

'Nannetensis'

See Magnolia grandiflora ‘Nannetensis’.

'NCMX1'

Flowers just before the new leaves (late April to May in North Carolina), open, with reflexing tepals, to 30 cm across, red-purple outside, pink inside, fragrant. Selected for hardiness and late flowering, a relatively narrow, pyramidal and strongly upright small tree. Raised before 2005, the result of a collaboration between Tom Ranney of North Carolina State University, J. Frank Schmidt and Son Nursery, and August Kehr (Schmidt 2022; Lynch 2018). US Plant Patent 29218 granted 2018.

'Neil McEacharn'

See Magnolia × loebneri ‘Neil McEacharn’.

'Nigra'

See Magnolia liliiflora ‘Nigra’.

'Nimbus'

Semi-evergreen intersectional hybrid. Flowers cup-shaped, very fragrant, late spring to early summer; tepals 11, outer 3 green and sepaloid, the remainder creamy white, to 10 cm long and strongly concave; sterile. A small, upright tree with leaves glossy green above, glaucous beneath. From a controlled cross made by William Kosar, US National Arboretum, in 1956. Highlighting its fragrance, Philippe de Spoelberch considers it ‘a must’ for a list of recommended cultivars, although he does not find it easy to grow in Belgium (pers. comm. 2021).

Magnolia 'Nimbus' (7th June 2021) Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Nimbus' grows and flowers freely at Tregrehan, Cornwall, UK. 29 May 2022. Image Jack Aldridge.

The semi-evergreen hybrid Magnolia 'Nimbus' providing a foil for diverse autumn colours (Belgium, 17th November 2017). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Norbertii'

See Magnolia × soulangeana ‘Norbertii’.

'Norman Gould'

See Magnolia kobus ‘Norman Gould’.

'Old Port'

See Magnolia × soulangeana ‘Old Port’.

'Olivia'

Flowers large, erect, tulip-shaped, rich yellow, appearing with or just before the new leaves. A narrowly upright small tree. Sister to the smaller flowered ‘Daphne’, from a cross made by August Kehr, 1991; grown at Arboretum Wespelaar, selected by Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Olivia' (20th April 2011). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Olivia' making a striking narrow crown (20th April 2011). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Olivia' compared with its sister seedling 'Daphne' (28th April 2009). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Olmenhof'

See Magnolia × thomsoniana ‘Olmenhof’.

'O'Neill'

See Magnolia liliiflora ‘O’Neill’.

'Orchid'

Flowers precocious, late (late April to May in S England), resembling M. liliiflora in shape; tepals ~6, to 17.5 cm long, uniform red-purple, showy. A medium shrub, found as a chance seedling at Hillenmeyer Nurseries, KY, in 1961.

The showy flowers of Magnolia 'Orchid' have very uniformly coloured tepals (Smithgall Woodland Garden, GA; 22nd March 2014). Image JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University.

'Oyama Rose'

Evergreen in mild areas, more usually deciduous. Flowers with the new leaves in May or June, fragrant, generally resembling those of M. sieboldii but with the outer two whorls of tepals pink, and facing upward or outward rather than nodding. A medium shrub, hardiness outside the American Southeast not yet fully tested. This Dennis Ledvina intersectional hybrid was grown and selected by Dick Figlar, SC, before 2016.