Magnolia lotungensis Chun & C.H. Tsoong

Of all the species in Section Gynopodium, the southeastern Chinese Magnolia lotungensis is showing most promise as an ornamental tree hardy in at least in parts of our area. Grown as a street tree in Yunnan (Weathington 2019) it is perhaps most to be valued for its stature, a potentially tall but narrow evergreen, whose small glossy dark green leaves can flush bronze to purplish red. While its flowers are small, they are scented, and the purple-red filaments make a striking central zone, contrasting with the creamy white tepals and anthers. Fortunately this lovely tree seems to be remarkably hardy, and has shown no cold damage either around Portland, OR or in Vancouver, BC where temperatures of –9 °C were recorded in the winter of 2006–2007. It has been reported to withstand –18 °C without damage (Hogan 2008), and highlighted as a good bet for planting widely across the British Isles (Marston 2017).

Introduced in 1993 by Piroche Plants, British Columbia, it has been planted relatively widely in North American collections, both in the Pacific Northwest and in the Southeast. Young trees seen in 2006 at the JC Raulston Arboretum and at Juniper Level Botanic Garden, both in North Carolina, were thriving, forming good straight-stemmed trees, well clad with glossy leaves. The JC Raulston tree, planted in 1995, began flowering in 2008, producing only male flowers (Weathington 2013); it was over 10 m tall by 2013 (JC Raulston Arboretum 2021). The Juniper Level specimen flowered extremely well in 2015 (Avent 2015). It has been offered commercially in the UK; a specimen (8 m × 38 cm, 2014 – Tree Register 2021) is flourishing at Tregrehan and had flowered by 2019 (Williams 2021). It is recorded from the Arboretum Bokrijk, Belgium (Plantcol 2021).

Seedlings are rather variable, and Sean Hogan (pers. comm. 2007) reports that several selections have been made for superior foliage qualities, including one with brilliantly red new growth, the colour persisting into summer, and another with a slightly bluish sheen to the leaves. Wharton (2007) also praises the red-flushing clones. It is almost impossible to root from cuttings but grafts very easily onto stocks of Section Yulania, so it should be possible to increase stocks of desirable clones very rapidly (Figlar 2008).