San Francisco Botanical Garden - Gardens

Look for Magnolia denudata in Beds 78c, 14a, 58 and 11a.

Scientific Name	Magnolia denudata
Common Name	Yulan Magnolia
Family	Magnoliaceae
Plant Type	Perennial, deciduous
Environment	Prefers full sun, well drained soil, prune after flowering. Extensive root system: don't plant close to foundations.
Bloom	White, fragrant, erect tulip-shaped blooms appear at the ends of branches as early as January. Somewhat irregular form.
Uses	Flower buds and bark used as a tonic, astringent.
More Info	The National Magnolia Society Evolution of Magnolias

Magnolia denudata
Yulan Magnolia

Magnolia denudata is one of the most loved of all Magnolias. Called the "Yulan" or "Jade Lily" by the Chinese, the exquisite lily shape of the blossoms with their pure white petals, has the longest history of cultivation going back to the Tang Dynasty - 618 AD. Its beauty was celebrated on ancient Chinese embroideries, scrolls and porcelains in scenes of the countryside. Its elegant flowers made it a "gift worthy of an emperor." Today old gnarled specimens can be found in Chinese temples and gardens, and elsewhere in China where they are cherished and planted.

Magnolias grow happily in the Himalayas at altitudes of 5-9000 feet, where the nutrients they require from the soil are provided by the snows and heavy rains. Magnolia denudata was the first magnolia from the Orient introduced to the western world when it was brought to England in 1780, and is one of the parents of many cultivars, the most famous being Magnolia soulangiana, a cross between M. denudata and M. liliflora.

Most Asiatic magnolias bloom before their leaves appear. American varieties bloom along with their leaves. Magolias are one of the most primitive of plants with petals and sepals indistinguishable, and numerous stamens and pistils spirally arranged along a central cone.