San Francisco Botanical Garden

Common name: Jade orchid, Yulan (English)

Family: Magnoliaceae (Magnolia)

Synonym: Yulania denudata

Distribution: China

IUCN Red list: Least concern

Life form: Deciduous tree

Flower color: White

Flowering Time at SFBG: early Spring

Fruiting Time at SFBG: October

Height: 25 m

Magnificent Magnolia Facts: Magnolia denudata is native to eastern and southern China where it occurs in montane subtropical forests between 500-1000 m. This species has the longest documented history of cultivation among magnolias, with depictions of it in Chinese gardens dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618 C.E.). This was the first magnolia from the East to be introduced to the Western world when brought to England in 1780. Called the “Yulan'' or “jade orchid” by the Chinese, it features exquisite pure white blossoms on a rounded tree growing to approximately 25 m tall. Its white color and ability to hybridize easily has resulted in its long-standing use as a parent in breeding efforts to develop new magnolia cultivars.

Growing Conditions: Sun to light shade; prefers evenly moist soil.

Botanical Description: Trees, to 25 m tall, to 1 m d.b.h. Bark deep gray, coarse and fissured. Winter buds and peduncles densely pale grayish yellow long sericeous. Branches patent and forming a broad crown; twigs grayish brown, slightly thick and strong. Stipular scar 1/4-1/3 as long as petiole. Petiole 1-2.5 cm, villous, adaxially narrowly furrowed; leaf blade obovate, broadly obovate, or obovate-elliptic but basal leaves elliptic, 10-15(-18) × 6-10(-12) cm, papery, gradually narrowing from middle toward base, abaxially pale green and villous along veins, adaxially deep green, villous when young, and later only pilose on midvein and secondary veins, secondary veins 8-10 on each side of midvein, reticulate veins conspicuous, apex broadly rounded, truncate, or slightly emarginate. Peduncle significantly enlarged, densely pale yellow long sericeous. Flower buds ovoid. Flowers appearing before leaves, 10-16 cm in diam., erect, fragrant. Tepals 9, white, oblong-obovate, 6-8(-10) × 2.5-4.5(-6.5) cm, subequal, base usually pinkish. Stamens 7-12 mm; connective ca. 5 mm wide, exserted and forming a mucro; anthers 6-7 mm, dehiscing laterally. Gynoecium pale green, cylindric, 2-2.5 cm, glabrous; ovaries narrowly ovoid, 3-4 mm; styles conical, ca. 4 mm. Fruit cylindric but in cultivation often curved because of carpels partly undeveloped, 12-15 × 3.5-5 cm; mature carpels brown, thickly woody, white lenticellate. Seeds cordate, ca. 9 × 10 mm, laterally compressed; testa red; endotesta black. (Flora of China)