Leaf
Liné1, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Saucer magnolia
Magnolia x soulangeana Soul.-Bod.
Also known as: Soulange's magnolia
Family: Magnoliaceae
5 to 8 m tall
Planted as a specimen in the garden for its spectacular early flowering, before the leaves emerge
Flowering: March – April
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to about -20°C, but the early flowers dislike late frosts
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
This hybrid, one of the very first deliberately created by French horticulture, bears the name of its breeder Étienne Soulange-Bodin, who developed it near Paris in 1826. Star magnolia has smaller star-shaped flowers with many fine white petals, whereas saucer magnolia has large cup-shaped flowers with broad petals, often tinged pink-purple at the base.
🍃 Leaves
Deciduous, broad, ovate, medium green, appearing after flowering
🌸 Flowers
Large cup-shaped flowers, pink to purple on the outside and white inside, opening before the leaves
🍎 Fruits
Elongated reddish follicle, barely visible, rarely produced
🪵 Bark
Grey, smooth
🗺️ Distribution
Horticultural hybrid created in France in 1826 between two Chinese magnolias
🐝 Value for pollinators
Originally pollinated by beetles like the primitive magnolias; little visited by bees in temperate climates
✂️ Horticultural uses
One of the most widely planted magnolias in France for its early, generous flowering; many coloured cultivars
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity in humans; non-toxic to dogs and cats according to the ASPCA.
⚠️ Look-alike species
Saucer magnolia
Magnolia x soulangeana
Star magnolia
Magnolia stellata
Star magnolia has smaller star-shaped flowers with many fine white petals, whereas saucer magnolia has large cup-shaped flowers with broad petals, often tinged pink-purple at the base.
🌿 Other Magnoliaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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