Magnolia Cultivars W–Z

'Wada's Memory'

Flowers precocious (late March to late April in S England) and profuse, to 18 cm across, pure white, fragrant; tepals ~6, initially spreading but later drooping and moving even in light winds. Leaves elliptic, to 12 cm long, flushed red on emergence. A small (rarely medium) tree of compact, conical habit, flowering from an early age, selected at the University of Washington Arboretum, Seattle, from a seedling batch received from Japanese nurseryman Koichiro Wada in 1940. Named during Wada’s lifetime, despite what the name might seem to imply. Highly rated by Philippe de Spoelberch, Belgium (pers. comm. 2021).

Magnolia 'Wada's Memory' (RHS Garden Rosemoor, 15th March 2022). Image Julian Sutton.

Tepals of Magnolia 'Wada's Memory' quickly become floppy (30th March 2022). Image Caerhays Estate.

Magnolia 'Wada's Memory' flowering profusely (27th March 2017). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

At its best, Magnolia 'Wada's Memory' can develop a globular habit on fastigiate branches. Sutton Road Cemetery, Southend, Essex, UK; 18th March 2017. Image Owen Johnson.

'Wada's Snow White'

Flowers precocious but late (from late April in S England), pure white and fragrant; tepals 8–9, narrow and erect. A vigorous small tree raised before 1984 by Koichiro Wada, Japan. An irregularly cream-variegated sport from it is under evaluation by Piet Vergeldt Boomkwekerij (2022)

'Wakehurst'

See Magnolia sprengeri ‘Wakehurst’.

'Water Lily'

See Magnolia stellata ‘Water Lily’ (note confusion with M. stellata ‘Waterlily’).

'Waterlily'

See Magnolia stellata ‘Waterlily’ (note confusion with M. stellata ‘Water Lily’).

WATERMELON

See Magnolia Cultivars M ‘Mgwat2011b’.

'Werrington'

See Magnolia campbellii ‘Werrington’.

'White Flounces'

See Magnolia sieboldii ‘White Flounces’.

'White Giant'

See Magnolia × soulangeana ‘White Giant’.

'White Rose'

See Magnolia × loebneri ‘White Rose’.

'White Stardust'

See Magnolia × loebneri ‘White Stardust’.

'Whopper'

See Magnolia macrophylla ‘Whopper’.

'Wildcat'

See Magnolia × loebneri ‘Wildcat’.

'William Watson'

See Magnolia × wieseneri ‘William Watson’.

'Willowwood'

See Magnolia × loebneri ‘Willowwood’.

'Wisley Stardust'

See Magnolia kobus ‘Wisley Stardust’.

'Woodlawn'

See Magnolia tripetala ‘Woodlawn’.

'Woodsman'

See Magnolia × brooklynensis ‘Woodsman’.

'Workman'

See Magnolia grandiflora ‘Workman’.

'Yellow Bird'

See Magnolia × brooklynensis ‘Yellow Bird’.

'Yellow Fever'

Flowers just before or with the young leaves, to 20 cm across, initially yellow with a light pink flush at the base outside, fading to ivory or cream; fragrant. A small to medium tree selected by Ken Durio, LA, registered 1984 (Missouri Botanical Garden 2022). Starred as worthwhile by Philippe de Spoelberch, Belgium (pers. comm. 2021).

Magnolia 'Yellow Fever' (15th April 2018). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Yellow Fever' (15th April 2018). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Yellow Lantern'

Flowers precocious, pale lemon with faint pink basal flush; fruit abundant. A small pyramidal tree, used in street plantings in Europe and starred as worthwhile by Philippe de Spoelberch, Belgium (pers. comm. 2021). Raised before 1985 by Phil Savage, MI.

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

Magnolia 'Yellow Lantern' (29th April 2006). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Yellow Lantern' is used as a street tree in Europe: nursery stock at Grand Blotterau, Nantes, France (3rd May 2011). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Yellow Lantern' (RHS Garden Wisley, March 2012). Image John Grimshaw.

YELLOW RIVER

See Magnolia Cultivars F ‘Fei Huang’.

'Yellow Sea'

Flowers just before or with the new leaves, yellow, tulip-shaped. A small tree, slower growing than ‘Elizabeth’ (Dirr 2009). Raised by Carl Ferris Miller at Chollipo Arboretum, S Korea, before 2000.

Magnolia 'Yellow Sea' (28th April 2009). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

'Yuchelia'

A problematic name which cannot be ignored: it has been used for at least three different selections or groups claimed as hybrids between members of Sections Magnolia and Yulania (Lobdell 2021). All are deciduous. The name was first used by Phil Savage (1989), who probably did not intend it as a cultivar name. Until the situation has been resolved, we follow Lobdell (2021) in tagging them informally as follows. Ultimately, ‘Yuchelia’ should probably not be used as a cultivar name at all.

‘Yuchelia’ [1]: (M. acuminata ‘Miss Honeybee’ × M. figo) Closely resembling the M. acuminata parent, but with the outer tepals less strongly reduced; yellow inner tepals; flowers after leaf emergence. Raised by Phil Savage, MI in the 1980s, and now in collections on both sides of the Atlantic. Charles Williams notes that he would doubt that it had any input from M. figo were it not for the scent (pers. comm. 2022).

‘Yuchelia’ [2]: ((M. × soulangeana ‘Brozonnii’) × M. doltsopa) Little known and poorly documented, although at least one clone from this 1980s Phil Savage cross was sold in the 1990s as ‘Moonchimes’ by Louisiana Nurseries.

‘Yuchelia’ [3]: Flowering with or just before the new leaves, strongly scented; tepals rose-pink outside (rather resembling M. ‘Daybreak’), the tepals quickly drooping to reveal their creamy inner surfaces. Distributed on both sides of the Atlantic, and highlighted as an up-and-coming variety in Europe by Williams, Gardiner & Gallagher (2016). A triploid, probably from a Phil Savage cross between M. acuminata and M. figo made in the late 1980s, although this has sometimes been disputed due to the sharp contrast in flower colour between [1] and [3] (Lobdell 2021).

Magnolia 'Yuchelia' 1: this yellow flowered plant is one of at least three confused under this name (Belgium, 21st May 2018). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Yuchelia' 1 (Belgium, 19th May 2020). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Yuchelia' 1 (Belgium, 21st May 2018). Image Philippe de Spoelberch.

Magnolia 'Yuchelia' 3: this pink and cream flowered plant is quite distinct (Caerhays Castle). Image Caerhays Estate.

Magnolia 'Yuchelia' 3: flowers sometimes emerge before the leaves (21st April 2018). Image Caerhays Estate.

Magnolia 'Yuchelia' 3: some flowers emerge after the leaves (1st May 2018). Image Caerhays Estate.

An 18-year-old specimen of Magnolia 'Yuchelia' 3 (Caerhays Castle, 9th April 2021). Image Julian Sutton.