Magnolia Facts

Magnolias are evergreen shrubs, climbers and trees.
Magnolias are named after the French botanist Pierre Magnol (1638-1715).
They produce beautiful, large, white or pink flowers and are one of the most popular garden plants.
Nutmeg trees, ylang-ylangs and tulip trees are all kinds of magnolia.
There are over 80 different kinds of magnolia.
Magnolias may be the most ancient of all flowering plants. Their fossil remains have been found in rocks 120 million years old – when the dinosaurs lived.
A seed 2000 years old, found by archaeologists (people who study ancient remains) in Japan was planted in 1982. It grew and produced an unusual flower with eight petals.
The most popular garden magnolia was bred in a garden near Paris, France, from a wild Japanese kind (Magnolia liliiflora) wild Chinese kind (Magnolia denudata).
Magnolia trees have the largest leaves .t Id flowers of any tree outside the tropical forests.
The cucumber tree – a kind of magnolia – is named after its seed clusters, which look like cucumbers.

This entry is filed under Interesting Facts.