San Francisco Botanical Garden

Common name: Lily magnolia (English)

Family: Magnoliaceae (Magnolia)

Synonym: Magnolia quinquepeta, Yulania liliiflora

Distribution: China

IUCN Red list: Data deficient

Life form: Deciduous shrub/sub-shrub

Flower color: Purplish red and white

Flowering Time at SFBG: February, March

Height: 3 m

Magnificent Magnolia Facts: The specific epithet liliiflora translates to a flower that is lily-like. Endemic to China, this compact, shrubby, deciduous Magnolia typically matures to 2-3 m tall and as wide. It’s goblet or lily shaped, purple-pink flowers appear in spring at the time of or shortly before leaf development. While the IUCN has listed Magnolia liliiflora as Data Deficient, the Chinese Red List has the species listed as Vulnerable due to its wide, fragmented distribution across China.

Growing Conditions: Full sun or partial shade in moist soil.

Botanical Description: Shrubs, to 3 m tall, usually caespitose. Bark grayish brown. Twigs greenish purple to pale purplish brown. Stipular scar ca. 1/2 as long as petiole. Petiole 0.8-2 cm; leaf blade elliptic-obovate to obovate, 8-18 × 3-10 cm, abaxially grayish green and pubescent along veins, adaxially deep green and sparsely pubescent when young, secondary veins 8-10 on each side of midvein, base gradually narrowing along petiole to stipular scar, apex acute to acuminate. Peduncle thick and strong, with trichomes. Flower buds ovoid, pale yellow sericeous. Flowers appearing at same time with leaves, vase-shaped, erect, slightly fragrant. Tepals 9-12; outer 3 tepals purplish green, sepal-like, lanceolate, 2-3.5 cm, caducous; tepals of inner 2 whorls purple to purplish red outside and whitish inside, petal-like, elliptic-obovate, 8-10 × 3-4.5 cm, fleshy. Stamens purplish red, 8-10 mm; connective exserted and forming a mucro; anthers ca. 7 mm, dehiscing laterally. Gynoecium pale purple, ca. 1.5 cm, glabrous. Fruit dark purplish brown, cylindric, 7-10 cm; mature carpels subglobose, apex shortly beaked. (Flora of China)