Campbell's magnolia
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The bright pinks and whites of Campbell’s magnolia appearing in early spring have made it a popular site in parks and gardens.
While frosts can knock back potential blossoms, there are numerous varieties and cultivars that flower slightly later in the year, ensuring a beautiful display.
The species gets both its common and scientific name from Archibald Campbell, a British East India Company superintendent who facilitated Joseph Hooker and Thomas Thompson’s expedition in Sikkim, on which they first described the plant to science.
Plant description
Campbell’s magnolia grows as a tall tree, reaching around 30m tall. The bark is smooth and grey. The leaves are around 25cm in length and around 7cm across, green on the top, and silver-green with silky hairs on the underside. The flowers are white to dark pink, grow up to 35cm across, and have between 12 to 16 tepals, the outer part of the flower similar to petals. The individual tepals are thick, almost rubbery, scoop-shaped and curve inwards. When first appearing, the innermost tepals remain closed around the centre of the flower. Inside, the stamens are a dark purple-red. Flowers first appear in trees over 20 years of age, between March and May.
Plant uses
Cultural
Campbell’s magnolia is an incredibly popular ornamental plant, grown in many gardens across the south and west regions of the UK.
Food and drink
Magnolia flower buds are edible, and can be pickled or dissolved into syrup.
Did you know?
There are two varieties of Campbell’s magnolia: var. campbellii, which flowers earlier, and var. mollicomata, which flowers later.
There are a large number of different cultivars of Campbell’s magnolia, including the Raffill Group, first created by Charles Raffill at Kew Gardens in 1946.
Where in the world?
Highland forests
Find it in our gardens
Kew Gardens
A botanic garden in southwest London with the world’s most diverse living plant collection.
Location
View map of Kew GardensBest time to see
Wakehurst
Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex that has over 500 acres of plants from around the world and is home to the Millennium Seed Bank.
