Magnolia x soulangeana 'Rustica Rubra' (Rustic Red Magnolia, Saucer Magnolia)

Botanical Information

FamilyMagnoliaceae
GenusMagnolia
Speciesx soulangeana
Cultivar'Rustica Rubra'
SynonymsMagnolia × soulangeana 'Rubra' misapplied
CategoryWoody
TypeTree (deciduous)
OriginA Dutch clone originating in Boskoop, The Netherlands at the end of the nineteenth century when open-pollinated seedlings of Magnolia x soulangeana 'Lennei' came into flower.
Pronunciation

Details

USDA Hardiness Zone5
USDA Hardiness Ref.
Canadian Hardiness Zone6a
Canada Hardiness Ref.
RHS Hardiness ZoneH6
RHS Hardiness Ref.
Temperature (°C)-26 -(-23)
Temperature (°F)-15 -(-10)
Height4-8 m
Spread4-8 m
GrowthFast
Flowering PeriodMay

Description and Growing Information

General Description'Rustica Rubra' is a large spreading deciduous shrub with ovate leaves and goblet-shaped flowers to 12 cm across, the tepals bright rosy-pink outside, paler within.
ShapeUpright to drooping.
LandscapeSpecimen tree.
PropagationSoftwood cuttings may be taken in early summer and rooted under mist and bottom heat. Layering of low branches in early spring.
CultivationGrow in moist, humus-rich, well-drained neutral to acid soil in full sun or part shade with shelter from cold winds. Late frosts may damage flower buds.
PestsCanker and scale might be problematic.
Notable SpecimensCaerhays Castle, Goran, Cornwall, United Kingdom. Cotehele House National Trust, St Dominick, Cornwall, United Kingdom.
HabitatHorticultural origin.
Bark/Stem DescriptionSmooth glabrous bark with slightly pronounced lenticels and releases a sweet fragrance when crushed. Is thin and easily damaged by construction or machine operations such as lawn mowing. As it matures branches tend to droop touching the ground if left unpruned.
Flower/Leaf Bud DescriptionLarge showy open-cupped blooms with pronounced, rigid petals measuring between 7 - 10 cm long.
Leaf DescriptionDark green in summer, green or brown in autumn, 6-12 x 4-8 cm, alternate venation, rounded at the base.
Flower DescriptionGoblet to quite rounded, rich, reddish purple blooms that are pink-white internally. Flowering mid-season when compared to M. x soulangeana.
Fruit DescriptionAsymmetrical lanceolate-ovate fruits, 10 cm long that mature in August through to September.
Colour DescriptionDull green leaves in the spring and summer turning a full, yellow in autumn. The flowers are reddish-purple on the exterior while the interior is almost white. The bark is light brown maturing to an even grey.
Texture DescriptionMedium to coarse.

Photographs