Magnolia Cultivars Q–R

'Queen Caroline'

See Magnolia campbellii ‘Queen Caroline’.

'Randy'

Flowers precocious, to 12 cm across; buds erect initially, later sickle shaped; tepals 9–11, red-purple outside, ageing rich pink, white inside. A medium to large rounded shrub. A de Vos & Kosar hybrid raised at the US National Arboretum before 1968; named for one of Francis de Vos’ daughters.

Magnolia 'Randy' (6th April 2011). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Randy' (6th April 2011). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Randy', a shrubby cultivar (9th April 2017). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Raspberry Fun'

See Magnolia × loebneri ‘Raspberry Fun’.

'Raspberry Ice'

Flowers precocious; tepals 12, rich pink outside, paler towards the tips, white inside; a large shrub or spreading multistemmed small tree. One of the original Gresham hybrids, named in 1962.

Magnolia 'Raspberry Ice' (Pine Lodge, Cornwall; 23rd March 2008). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Raspberry Ice' (Pine Lodge, Cornwall; 23rd March 2008). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Raspberry Swirl'

Flowers precocious, late (continuing into May in S England), erect; tepals ~11, deep-purple-pink on both surfaces. An upright small tree registered 1990 by Frank Galyon, TN, from a cross made about 1965.

A plant grown as Magnolia 'Raspberry Swirl' in Europe has paler inner tepal surfaces, not as originally described (Arboretum Wespelaar, 23rd March 2022). Image Koen Camelbeke.

'Ravenswood'

See Magnolia virginiana ‘Ravenswood’.

'Rebekka's Perfume'

Flowers large, cup- to star-shaped, before the leaves; strong Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) fragrance; tepals 9, waxy, white with a pink flush at the base. Lateral branches somewhat weeping. Raised by Michael Gottschalk, Germany, before 2000.

Magnolia 'Rebekka's Perfume' in flower at Cherry Tree Arboretum, Shropshire, UK, on 27 March 2023 (after a cold winter). Image Tom Christian.

Magnolia 'Rebekka's Perfume'. Cherry Tree Arboretum, Shropshire, UK. 27 March 2023. Image Tom Christian.

Magnolia 'Rebekka's Perfume'. Cherry Tree Arboretum, Shropshire, UK. 27 March 2023. Image Tom Christian.

Magnolia 'Rebekka's Perfume' has large flowers and a strong lily-of-the-valley fragrance (5th March 2022). Image Caerhays Estate.

Magnolia 'Rebekka's Perfume' (25th February 2019). Image Caerhays Estate.

'Red As'

Flowers precocious, globular and upright, dark purple-red; a compact, upright small tree or large shrub (Edwards & Marshall 2019). Raised by Ian Baldick, New Zealand before 2004, introduced by Duncan & Davies Nurseries. If the cultivar name seems not to make sense, heavily stress the second word. For discussion of which form of the name has priority, see Lobdell (2021).

Magnolia 'Red As' (15th April 2008). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Red As' (6th April 2017). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Ricki'

Flowers precocious, to 15 cm across from slender, erect buds, red-purple outside, white (sometimes stained purplish) inside; tepals 10–15, often twisted. A medium to large rounded shrub. A de Vos & Kosar hybrid raised at the US National Arboretum before 1968; named for one of Francis de Vos’ daughters.

Magnolia 'Ricki' (Thurmont, MD; 28th April 2000). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Ricki' (Arboretum des Grandes Bruyères, France; 5th April 2011). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Robert's Dream'

See Magnolia × proctoriana ‘Robert’s Dream’.

'Rose Marie'

Flowers precocious, over a long, late season (late April to May), cup-and-saucer-shaped; tepals 9, rose pink outside, paler inside. A fast-growing pyramidal small tree selected before 2005 by Dennis Ledvina, WI. This complex hybrid has MM. acuminata, campbellii, denudata, liliiflora and sprengeri var. diva in its genetic heritage.

Magnolia 'Rose Marie' showing a little frost damage (1st May 2017). Image The Morton Arboretum.

'Rosea'

See Magnolia stellata ‘Rosea’.

'Roseanne'

Flowers precocious, tulip-shaped; tepals 6–7, broad and tending to remain upright, rich lavender-pink outside, lighter pink inside; leaves somewhat glossy, with a rugose texture. A medium to large shrub raised by Dennis Ledvina, WI, before 2005; a very hardy fertile tetraploid (Ledvina 2005).

'Rouged Alabaster'

Flowers precocious and early, opening to 30 cm across from buds with dark perules; tepals 9, rose-pink outside, white inside. A large shrub or small tree, one of the original Gresham hybrids named in 1962. Nowadays most likely to be seen as older specimens, although still in the New Zealand nursery trade (Magnolia Grove 2022).

Magnolia 'Rouged Alabaster', one of Todd Gresham's original selections (14th March 2007). Image Caerhays Estate.

Magnolia 'Rouged Alabaster's (2nd April 2020). Image Caerhays Estate.

'Royal Crown'

Flowers precocious, purplish-pink outside (dark when in bud), whitish inside; tepals 12, 12–15 cm long, often with incurved margins and spreading to different extents to give the vague impression of a crown. A vigorous small tree which often reflowers in autumn; one of the original Gresham hybrids named in 1962 (Edwards & Marshall 2019).

Magnolia 'Royal Crown' (Arboretum Wespelaar, 14th April 2009). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Royal Crown' (Arboretum Wespelaar, 14th April 2009). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Royal Crown' reflowering to good effect in late summer (Arboretum Wespelaar, 17th August 2006). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Royal Flush'

Flowers precocious, goblet-shaped, white, with a small, very dark purple flush at the base of the tepals inside. A small tree, one of the original Gresham hybrids, nowadays most likely to be seen as older specimens

Magnolia 'Royal Flush' (Parco Botanico Eisenhut Gambarogno, Switzerland; 30th March 2012). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Royal Star'

See Magnolia stellata ‘Royal Star’.

'Rubra'

See Magnolia stellata ‘Rubra’.

'Ruff'

See Magnolia grandiflora ‘Ruff’.

'Russet'

See Magnolia grandiflora ‘Russet’.

'Rustica Rubra'

See Magnolia × soulangeana ‘Rustica Rubra’.

'Ruth'

Flowers precocious (April in S England), large, cup-and-saucer-shaped, rich rosy purple. An upright small tree, a good later flowering alternative to ‘Lanarth’; flowers from a young age. Raised before 2000 by Ian Baldick, New Zealand (World of Magnolias 2022).

See also Magnolia × loebneri ‘Ruth’; issues around the valid name of that cultivar are not yet resolved (Lobdell 2021).

Magnolia 'Ruth' (22nd March 2019). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Ruth' (26th March 2017). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Ruth' (RHS Garden Wisley, UK, 8 March 2024). Image John Grimshaw.