MAGNOLIA

‘Brixton Belle’ is a stunning selection from revered New Zealand breeder Vance Hooper.  At the first touch of spring, ‘Brixton Belle’ lights up with its bright pink flower buds, unfurling to reveal elegant petals bathed in a touch of pink, every bloom an enchanting work of art.  Its flowers are large (25-30cm diameter) and yet wonderfully delicate. ‘Brixton Belle’ forms a small rounded tree and the first flowering could be as early as 2 years from seed, so you won’t have to wait long to enjoy these beauties in your garden.  As a bonus, in favourable conditions, there will be a second...

Cameo is a richly flowering magnolia bred by renowned New Zealand breeder Vance Hooper and is a sister seedling to ‘Cleopatra’. Dark maroon buds open up into elegantly sculpted flowers reminiscent of a cameo brooch. Outer tepals are dark maroon with white flushed, magenta inner creating a striking contrast (colour may pale slightly, due to climatic influences). From late winter ‘Cameo’ puts on an impressive display of exceptionally prolific flower power In the summer glossy green leaves add a lovely background to a second round of flowering.  This is a small rounded tree, perfect for...

Graceful, dainty and prolific sums up ‘Church Mouse’, a lovely selection from NZ breeder Glyn Church.  ‘Church Mouse’ was recently reclassified from being a Michelia to a Magnolia and is a dwarf form of the old Michelia yunnanensis. The combination of classic cream petals and furry, plush, tan-brown buds set against dark green foliage give ‘Church Mouse’ a timeless grace.  A wonderful talent of ‘Church Mouse’ is to flower and flower and flower. This is achievable due to flower buds being set all the way down the stems, at nearly every leaf axil, not just on the tips. Its smaller stature...

The stately beauty 'Cleopatra' was bred by revered New Zealand breeder Vance Hooper and is sure to become the queen of your garden. Featuring the most amazing, rich purple blooms 'Cleopatra' is a prolific flowerer from a young age.  First blooms are out in late winter to early spring followed by a repeat flowering in summer.  Add this to its compact and narrow growth habit, which makes this tree ideal for all gardens or containers and you can see why 'Cleopatra' was winner of the Best New Tree Award at the Essen International Plant Fair in 2013.  An absolute must for all magnolia lovers....

Magnolia ‘Emperor’ is another beauty, bred by revered New Zealand breeder Vance Hooper, and a true monarch of the magnolia world.  Magnificent with its bountiful display of dark pink flowers that grow to an impressive 30cm diameter, ‘Emperor’ puts on a stunning early spring display. Glossy green leaves add a lovely background to a second round of flowering in summer.  ‘Emperor’ is perfect as a garden feature tree but also wonderful in containers on the terrace. Plant in moist free draining, fertile soils with full sun for at least half the day. Winter hardy to -15 ºC. Deciduous.  

With its abundance of elegant white blooms and pleasing scent, ‘Gail's Favourite’ is set to become the darling of your garden.  This spring beauty is another stunning Magnolia selection by Glyn Church. It forms a dense bush that, in late winter / early spring, is covered in flowers with an enchanting lemony, cinnamon scent.  The velvety bronze flower buds open into exquisite white blooms nestled in amongst the rounded foliage which is a glossy dark green with soft brown underside. ‘Gail’s Favourite’ rarely needs trimming due to its slow growing, bushy habit, making it easy to maintain....

Magnolia 'Genie' is so-named for her magical qualities of: being an exceptionally good garden plant; being a reliable and floriferous flowerer; producing stunning deep maroon blooms; and most importantly to Vance, being a good breeder. In fact, ‘Genie’ has formed the foundation of approximately 90% of all Vance’s breeding programmes, to date. It is these magical qualities that saw her win First Prize at the International Plant Fair (IPM) Essen, Germany, in 2011 and a prestigious KVBC Gold Medal Award from the Netherlands, in 2020. ‘Genie’ forms a narrow, compact, pyramidal tree,...

Bred in New Zealand by revered Magnolia breeder Vance Hooper, Magnolia ‘Mighty Mouse’ is an absolutely charming ‘mini-me’ version of worldwide favourite and award winning, Magnolia ‘Genie’. From foliage and shape and form, to buds and fully formed blooms, every feature of Magnolia ‘Mighty Mouse’ is an exact replica of ‘Genie’ - in miniature! The depth of colour in the blooms is nothing short of stunning and given plenty of sunshine and adequate moisture, ‘Mighty Mouse’ is likely to repeat flower in the height of summer. Given its diminutive dimensions, ‘Mighty Mouse’ makes the perfect...

Bred in New Zealand by revered Magnolia breeder Vance Hooper, Magnolia ‘Pink Promise’ forms a tidy, rounded, compact small tree. In mid to late spring, pinkish-purple, sharply pointed buds open to large, elegant blooms, revealing blush-pink to white inner petals with a darker base. Not only are a phenomenal number of blooms produced from a young age, you can also expect to discover a second show of gorgeous blooms, nestled amongst the foliage, in mid to late summer. ‘Pink Promise’ is an excellent choice of specimen tree for a small garden, or background subject in a large mixed border....

Bred in New Zealand by revered Magnolia breeder Vance Hooper, Magnolia ‘Pink Pyramid’ is a complex hybrid, forming a narrow, upright (fastigiate) tree, making it the perfect choice to inject vertical emphasis into a small garden space or narrow border. Cup-shaped blooms, of vibrant reddish-purple to dark pink, are held on branch tips and short spurs on second year wood, in mid-spring. Blooms are plentiful and make a second appearance amid rich, dark-green foliage, over summer. Plant in a sunny, sheltered position, in well-composted, well-drained soil. Deciduous.

‘Starburst’ is a Magnolia for everyone, no matter the size of your garden. Inspired by the compact and hardy growth of the Magnolia cylindrica species, revered New Zealand breeder Vance Hooper has created a plant that is perfect for smaller spaces and in climates that require hardy plants. ‘Starburst’ is distinguished not just by its coveted pyramidal growth habit, but also by its frosted spring blooms - a light dusting of white over the dark pink petals all displayed on a unique flower form.  This is a wonderful option for a smaller garden specimen, containers on the deck or patio, or as...

Bred in New Zealand by revered Magnolia breeder Vance Hooper, Magnolia ‘Tinkerbelle’ forms a compact, columnar-shaped, small tree with slender, upright stems - the perfect choice for a small garden or narrow border. Sumptuous blooms, in the deepest rich-red, have a very formal, sculpted, chalice shape and are produced on terminal shoots and spur tips. An occasional secondary bloom also appears, as does a second flowering in mid-summer, to early autumn. ‘Tinkerbelle’ has proven to be generally wind and weather tolerant, as well as mildew resistant. Plant in a sunny, sheltered position, in...

One of the most delightful ‘new generation’ magnolias for its overall form and outstanding performance ‘Watermelon’ is a must for magnolia lovers. Bred by renowned New Zealander breeder Vance Hooper, ‘Watermelon’ turns heads with large luscious blooms, made more impressive by their distinctive and unusual watermelon pink colouration. Flowering profusely from late winter to early spring ‘Watermelon’ will light up the garden with its vibrant radiance. Plant in full sun or partial shade in moist, well-drained, compost enriched soil. Deciduous.  

Bred in New Zealand by revered Magnolia breeder Vance Hooper, Magnolia ‘Yoda’ forms a small to medium sized tree with a compact, upright habit. Long, pinkish-purple, pointed buds open to spectacular, lotus-like blooms of palest pink to pure white, with a darker base. ‘Yoda’ is very similar to, but smaller than, well-known Magnolia ‘Star Wars’. It is also extremely free-flowering and repeat blooms in summer. Ideally suited to a specimen tree for a small garden or background planting in a large mixed border. Plant in a sunny, sheltered position, in well-composted, well-drained soil. Deciduous.