Magnolia Cultivars S

'Saint Mary'

See Magnolia grandiflora ‘Saint Mary’.

'Samuel Sommer'

See Magnolia grandiflora ‘Samuel Sommer’.

'San Jose'

See Magnolia × soulangeana ‘San Jose’.

'Santa Rosa'

See Magnolia virginiana ‘Santa Rosa’.

'Sara Gladney'

See Magnolia macrophylla ‘Sara Gladney’.

'Satellite'

See Magnolia virginiana ‘Satellite’.

'Sawada's Cream'

See Magnolia denudata ‘Sawada’s Cream’.

'Sawada's Pink'

See Magnolia denudata ‘Sawada’s Pink’.

'Sayonara'

Flowers precocious (March to April in S England), goblet-shaped; tepals broad, to 12 cm long, white flushed purple-pink at the base, some greening also on the outer tepals; the pink flush fades out gradually, often reaching more than halfway up the tepals. A vigorous and floriferous medium tree, often multistemmed; one of the original Gresham hybrids, named in 1964 (Edwards & Marshall 2019). The cultivar name is borrowed from a Japanese word for ‘goodbye’; its relevance here is far from clear.

Magnolia 'Sayonara' (19th April 2010). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

A young specimen of Magnolia 'Sayonara' (19th April 2010). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Sayonara' contributing gently to the autumn show in Ray Wood, Castle Howard, in November 2022. Image John Grimshaw.

'Seiju'

See Magnolia acuminata ‘Seiju’.

'Semiplena'

See Magnolia sieboldii ‘Semiplena’.

'Sentinel'

Flowers precocious, large and tulip-shaped, deep reddish-pink towards the base, paler towards the tepal tips. A vigorous, columnar medium tree. Reputed to be a Gresham hybrid selected before 2018; parentage unknown (Piet Vergeldt Boomkwekerij 2022; Frank P Matthews 2022).

Magnolia 'Sentinel' (9th April 2011). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

A young example of Magnolia 'Sentinel' showing the makings of a narrow-crowned tree (Leende, The Netherlands; 8th April 2005). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Serene'

Flowers precocious but late, April to early May in S England, upright and bowl-shaped, deep strawberry pink. A vigorous small tree raised by Felix Jury, New Zealand, introduced in the early 1970s by Os Blumhardt (Jury 2017; Jury & Jury 2021). Highly rated by Philippe de Spoelberch, Belgium (pers. comm. 2021).

Magnolia 'Serene' has very large flowers (Tikorangi, New Zealand, 19th September 2012). Image Abbie Jury.

Magnolia 'Serene's (Tikorangi, New Zealand, 19th September 2012). Image Abbie Jury.

Magnolia 'Serene' (Belgium, 29th April 2006). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Serene' (Tikorangi, New Zealand). Image Abbie Jury.

'Shibamichi'

See Magnolia foveolata ‘Shibamichi’.

SHIRAZZ™

See Magnolia Cultivars U–V ‘Vulden’.

'Sidbury'

See Magnolia campbellii Raffillii Group.

'Silk Road'

See Magnolia × pruhoniciana ‘Silk Road’.

'Silver Cloud'

See Magnolia doltsopa ‘Silver Cloud’.

'Silver Parasol'

See Magnolia × pruhoniciana ‘Silver Parasol’.

'Sir Harold Hillier'

Flowers precocious, exceptionally beautiful white goblets to 30 cm across. A medium tree selected before 2000 by Nigel Holman, Cornwall.

Magnolia 'Sir Harold Hillier': large, beautifully formed flowers (7th March 2022). Image Caerhays Estate.

Magnolia 'Sir Harold Hillier': the white tepals have a faint pink flush initially (22nd February 2020). Image Caerhays Estate.

'Skylands Best'

See Magnolia acuminata ‘Skylands Best’.

'Slavin's Snowy'

See Magnolia × proctoriana ‘Slavin’s Snowy’.

'Snow Bouquet'

See Magnolia maudiae ‘Snow Bouquet’.

'Snowdrift'

See Magnolia × loebneri ‘Snowdrift’.

'Solar Flair'

Flowers late, just before or with the new leaves, tulip-shaped, heavily textured, pale yellow sometimes with a faint pink flush at the tepal bases (Missouri Botanical Garden 2022; Piet Vergeldt Boomkwekerij 2022). An upright, pyramidal small tree selected before 1997 by August Kehr, NC.

Magnolia 'Solar Flair' (1st June 2013). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Solar Flair' (22nd April 2018). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Southern Charm'

See Magnolia grandiflora ‘Southern Charm’.

'Speciosa'

See Magnolia × soulangeana ‘Speciosa’.

'Spectrum'

Flowers precocious, over a long spring season late enough usually to avoid frost, initially tulip-shaped, opening to 30 cm across, lightly fragrant; tepals 8–12, rich red-pink outside, paler inside. A small tree, upright and pyramidal, more spreading with age (Edwards & Marshall 2019). From a cross made in 1963 by William Kosar, US National Arboretum. Highly rated by Philippe de Spoelberch, Belgium (pers. comm. 2021). The smaller flowered, narrow-crowned ‘Galaxy’ is a sister seedling.

Richly coloured Magnolia 'Spectrum' (14th April 2009). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Spectrum' (14th April 2009). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Spectrum' (14th April 2009). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Spring Rite'

Flowers precocious, February or early March in S England, open cup-shaped to 30 cm across; tepals 9, silvery-white with a hint of rose at the bases. A broad, fast growing small tree, one of the original Gresham hybrids named in 1962, but introduced to the nursery trade as late as 1991 by Gossler Farms, OR. Williams, Gardiner & Gallagher (2016) highlight it as an up-and-coming cultivar in Europe.

Magnolia 'Spring Rite' (18th April 2010). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Spring Rite' (18th April 2010). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Spring Snow'

See Magnolia × loebneri ‘Spring Snow’.

SPRING WELCOME^®

See Magnolia × loebneri ‘Ruth’.

'Star Wars'

Flowers emerging before or with the young leaves, prolific and large (typically 15 cm across, sometimes to 28 cm); tepals rich pink outside, paler inside, the outer ones inrolled. A medium tree with a strong central leader and pyramidal outline, flowering for 6–8 weeks from mid-March in southern England, often repeating in summer: a star performer indeed. Raised in the 1970s by Os Blumhardt, New Zealand who commented that ‘the outer tepals are rolled into tubes or spikes sticking out all around the buds and opening blooms. As they are borne freely and point in all directions, I call the plant ‘Star Wars” (Blumhardt 1982). Flowering from a young age, it makes a good substitute for M. campbellii where patience is not considered a virtue, although the flower form is less attractive.

Magnolia 'Star Wars' flowering with characteristic freedom (RHS Garden Wisley, UK, March 2012). Image John Grimshaw.

A different view of an old friend: Magnolia 'Star Wars' flowering with the young leaves (Lukesland, Devon, UK; 4th May 2022). Image Julian Sutton.

Magnolia 'Star Wars' at Canterbury City Cemetery, Kent, UK; 30th March 2019. Image Owen Johnson.

Magnolia 'Star Wars' in the Grimshaw family garden in Maidenhead (Berkshire, UK) where it is the star of the street every year (March 2019). Image John Grimshaw.

Magnolia 'Star Wars' growing as a large tree in the woodland garden at Gresgarth Hall, Lancashire, UK, early May 2022. Image John Grimshaw.

'STRgra'

See Magnolia grandiflora ‘STRgra’.

'String of Pearls'

Flowers precocious (April in S England), carried right along the stems (hence the cultivar name), cup-shaped and upright; tepals 9, pure white, the inner 6 larger with a light pink base. A small tree raised by Phil Savage, MI, before 2003. Details of parentage disputed, but all accounts include M. cylindrica and M. denudata in its background (Lobdell 2021).

'Strybing White'

See under Magnolia campbellii Alba Group.

'Stubbs Purple'

See Magnolia figo ‘Stubbs Purple’.

'Summer Snowflake'

See Magnolia laevifolia ‘Summer Snowflake’.

'Summer Solstice'

Flowers on leafy shoots in early summer, globular, 10 cm across, scented; tepals 12, deep pink outside, creamy white inside; leaves dark green, broadly ovate to obovate, glaucous beneath. A small tree hardier and more vigorous than M. globosa. Bought as a seedling labelled ‘M. globosa’ at the Savill Garden Plant Centre, Windsor Great Park by Maurice Foster, who later inferred the parentage, naming it by 1995. Several sister seedlings are being grown in the Valley Gardens, Windsor.

Magnolia 'Summer Solstice', a summer-flowering hybrid of M. globosa. Image Maurice Foster.

Magnolia 'Summer Solstice' (Caerhays Castle, 1st June 2019). Image Christophe Crock.

Magnolia 'Summer Solstice' (Caerhays Castle, 1st June 2019). Image Christophe Crock.

Magnolia 'Summer Solstice' (Yorkshire Arboretum, June 2022). Image John Grimshaw.

'Sun Ray'

As ‘Sundance’ (below) but leaves larger, stems thicker, and flowers slightly larger and deeper yellow. Colchicine-induced decaploid sport on ‘Sundance’, by August Kehr, NC, registered 1995.

Magnolia 'Sun Ray' (11th April 2011). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Sun Spire'

Flowers with or just before the new leaves, small, candle-shaped, deep yellow. A small tree distinguished by its fastigiate habit as well as fine flower colour. Rasied by August Kehr, NC, before 2000; sibling of ‘Sunsation’.

Magnolia 'Sun Spire' (JC Raulston Arboretum, 9th April 2017). Image JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University.

'Sunburst'

Flowers with the emerging leaves; tepals deep canary yellow, narrow, to 12 cm long. A quick-growing and very floriferous small tree; selected 1997 by August Kehr, who rated it very highly.

Magnolia 'Sunburst' (US National Arboretum, 20th April 2018). Image Koen Camelbeke.

A young example of Magnolia 'Sunburst' (US National Arboretum, 20th April 2018). Image Koen Camelbeke.

'Sundance'

Flowers precocious, ‘barium yellow’, 20 cm across. Fast growing small to medium tree. Raised before 1986 by August Kehr, NC, from seed provided by Joe McDaniel. Starred as worthwhile by Philippe de Spoelberch, Belgium (pers. comm. 2021).

Magnolia 'Sundance' (9th April 2017). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Sundance', a fast-growing cultivar (9th April 2017). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Sunrise'

See Magnolia Cultivars L ‘Lv Xing’, which has been sold under this name in Europe against the raiser’s wishes; however, the name properly belongs to a little-known yellow-flowered M. acuminata hybrid raised by Dennis Ledvina, not described here (Lobdell 2021).

'Sunsation'

Flowers before or with the new leaves, yellow stained pink at the base, goblet-shaped to 17 cm across. An upright small tree to about 6 m, selected by August Kehr, 1997; a sibling of the narrower, slower growing ‘Sun Spire’.

Magnolia 'Sunsation' (27th May 2016). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Sunsation' (Broken Arrow Nursery, CT; 8th May 2011). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Sunsation' (6th May 2018). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Sunset Swirl'

Flowers late but still before the leaves, opening to a neat (not floppy) pinwheel; tepals vivid rosy pink outside, paler inside; flowers comparable to the well known ‘Daybreak’, but the less floppy form better shows off the strong outer colour. An upright, very vigorous, small to medium tree, flowering from a young age. Very hardy, USDA Zone 4 has been claimed (Boland 2008). Raised before 2007 by Dennis Ledvina, WI, it is a complex hybrid whose parentage includes M. acuminata, M. campbellii, M. denudata, M. liliiflora and M. sprengeri.

Subtly coloured Magnolia 'Sunset Swirl', a complex hybrid (3rd April 2020). Image Caerhays Estate.

Magnolia 'Sunset Swirl' (31st March 2020). Image Caerhays Estate.

'Susan'

Flowers precocious, to 15 cm across, deep red-purple outside, slightly paler inside; tepals 6, sometimes twisted or inwardly rolled. A medium to large shrub, more rarely a small tree. Arguably the finest of ‘The Girls’ raised at the US National Arboretum before 1968; named for Susan Skinner, daughter of then USNA director Henry Skinner.

Magnolia 'Susan', popular and reliable in Western Europe (2nd April 2004). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

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

The characteristic 'flamingo's bill' shape of the buds of Magnolia 'Susan' (Castle Howard, North Yorkshire, April 2022). Image John Grimshaw.

'Susanna van Veen'

Flowers precocious, in March (S England), large, rose pink, deeper outside, rather floppy; flower buds with strikingly furry perules. A small to medium tree, distributed in Europe by Eisenhut, Switzerland, by 1989, although Williams (2019) claims an unspecified New Zealand origin. The more widely grown ‘Caerhays Belle’ has the same parentage.

Magnolia 'Susanna van Veen' (26th February 2020). Image Caerhays Estate.

Magnolia 'Susanna van Veen' (4th March 2017). Image Caerhays Estate.

Magnolia 'Susanna van Veen' at Caerhays Castle (4th April 2009). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Susanna van Veen' at Cherry Tree Arbroetum, Shropshire, UK. 27 March 2023. Image Tom Christian.

Magnolia 'Susanna van Veen' at Cherry Tree Arbroetum, Shropshire, UK. 27 March 2023. Image Tom Christian.

Magnolia 'Susanna van Veen' at Cherry Tree Arbroetum, Shropshire, UK. 27 March 2023. Image Tom Christian.

'Swarthmore Sentinel'

See Magnolia denudata ‘Swarthmore Sentinel’.

'Sweet Merlot'

Flowers precocious, globular, wine-red outside, pale reddish-pink inside, lasting well both on the tree and when cut.. A small tree selected before 2008 by Vance Hooper, New Zealand (Hooper 2008), marketed in Europe and New Zealand.

Magnolia 'Sweet Merlot' (17th April 2015). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Sweet Simplicity'

See Magnolia × soulangeana ‘Sweet Simplicity’.

'Sweet Sixteen'

Flowers precocious, broadly cup-shaped from impressive 13 cm long buds, almost pure white with only a hint of pink at the base. A floriferous small to medium tree; when registered it was described as a ‘large oval-shaped tree’ (Fogg & Del Tredici 1984), but a plant at Caerhays Castle, Cornwall, has remained small despite flowering abundantly (Charles Williams in Williams, Gardiner & Gallagher (2016), highlighting it as an up-and-coming cultivar in Europe, potentially a stunning flowering tree). A Gresham hybrid selected before 1984 by Ken Durio, LA.

Magnolia 'Sweet Sixteen': white tepals with the faintest trace of pink (28th March 2012). Image Caerhays Estate.

Magnolia 'Sweet Sixteen' (31st March 2020). Image Caerhays Estate.

SWEET THING

See Magnolia virginiana ‘Perry Paige’.

'Sweetheart'

Flowers precocious, in March (S England – July to August in New Zealand), globular, to 30 cm across when fully open, fragrant; tepals ~12, broad, purplish pink outside, deeper at the base, pale pink to white inside. A small to medium tree, vigorous and more upright than its parent, raised by New Zealand nurseryman Peter Cave before 2000 (Edwards & Marshall 2019).

Magnolia 'Sweetheart' (Belgium, 22nd March 2019). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Sweetheart' (Belgium, 15th March 2020). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Sweetheart' (New Zealand, 30th August 2015). Image Abbie Jury.

Magnolia 'Sweetheart' (New Zealand, 23rd August 2018). Image Abbie Jury.

Magnolia 'Sweetheart' (New Zealand, 24th August 2012). Image Abbie Jury.

'Sybille'

Flowers precocious (March or early April in Belgium), upright and large, opening out to 30 cm across; tepals 9–12, broad, pure white or sometimes with a soft pink zone at the bases; stamens pale pink (Arboretum Wespelaar 2021). A small, potentially medium tree selected around 2010 by Philippe de Spoelberch, Belgium, from a cross made in 2000, and named for his sister; he notes ‘spectacular […] hardy’ (pers. comm. 2021).

Magnolia 'Sybille' (13th April 2009). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Sybille' has distinctive pale pink stamens (22nd April 2006). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Sybille': spectacular and hardy (3rd April 2016). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Symmes Select'

See Magnolia grandiflora ‘Symmes Select’.