Magnolia × loebneri
Common name: 
Loebner Magnolia
Pronunciation: 
mag-NO-li-a LEB-ner-i
Family: 
Magnoliaceae
Genus: 
Magnolia
Type: 
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Broadleaf deciduous shrubs or trees which result from crossing Magnolia kobus and Magnolia stellata.  Such hybrids have been produced by a number of different breeding programs and from chance crossings and have a range of growth forms, from multi-stemmed large shrubs to single-stemmed trees 30ft (9m) tall.  Leaves alternate, simple, and similar to those of M. stellata, about 13 cm long and 5 cm wide, elliptic to oblong, dark green above and lighter green below.  Flowers are 10-15 cm across,from 8-30 petals (tepals), white to lilac-pink depending on the cultivar.   They bloom in early spring and are rather wind and frost resistant.
  • Sun or partial shade, acid to alkaline, well-drained soil.
  • Hardy to USDA Zone 4-5, varies with cultivar; probably needs protection in Zone 4 (Snyder, 2000).
  • The available cultivars include:
    • ‘Ballerina’  -  15-20 ft (3.5-6 m) tall, flowers white with pinkish centers, up to 30 petals (tepals), fragrant.
    • ‘Leonard Messel’  -  25 tall (8 m) and 20 ft (6 m) wide, flowers light pink; flower buds showed little damage at -32o F (Snyder, 2000).
    • ‘Merrill’  -  to 30 ft (9 m) tall, flowers creamy white, fragrant; flower buds showed considerable damage at -32o F, but it is still considered on of the best magnolias to try in Zone 4 (Snyder, 2000).
    • ‘Neil McEacharn’  -   large shrub or small tree to 30 ft (9 m), pink buds open white, flowers smaller than those many other cultivars.
    • ‘Spring Snow’  -  25-30 ft (7.5-9m) tree, flowers pure white, about 15 petals (tepals), fragrant.
  • loebneri: after Max Loebner of Pillnitz, Germany, who developed this hybrid; they first flowered in 1917.

 

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