| Yulan magnolia | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Magnoliales |
| Family: | Magnoliaceae |
| Genus: | Magnolia |
| Subgenus: | M. subg. Yulania |
| Section: | M. sect. Yulania subsect. Yulania |
| Species: | M. denudata |
| Binomial name | |
| Magnolia denudata |
|
Magnolia denudata, known as the Yulan magnolia (Chinese: 玉蘭花), is native to central and eastern China. It has been cultivated in Chinese Buddhist temple gardens since 600 AD. Its flowers were regarded as a symbol of purity in the Tang Dynasty and it was planted in the grounds of the Emperor's palace. It is the official city flower of Shanghai.
Contents |
Magnolia denudata a rather low, rounded, thickly branched, and coarse-textured tree to 30 feet (9.1 m) tall. The leaves are ovate, bright green, 15 cm long and 8 cm wide. Bark is a coarse dark gray. The 10–16 cm white flowers that emerge from early to late spring, while beautiful and thick with a citrus-lemon fragrance, are prone to browning if subjected to frost.
This plant is used as an ornamental tree in gardens. It is similar to other magnolias in that it likes rich, moist soil and should be planted in a location where it is protected from elemental extremes.