The collection reflects the taxonomic diversity of plants of the magnolia genus and represents the diversity of ornamental features of magnolias.
Magnolias are relict plants, among the oldest flowering plants on the planet. Research shows that magnolias have been growing on Earth for more than 20 million years. The name magnolia was given to this deciduous genus by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 in honour of Pierre Magnole (1638-1715), director of the French Botanical Gardens. There are currently around 125 species of magnolias in the world, which occur naturally in the Himalayas, East and South-East Asia, and the tropics of North and South America. They are evergreen or summer-green trees or shrubs that produce large, white, yellow, pink, or purple flowers. The size of the leaves varies depending on the species but can range from 5 to 25 cm in length. New varieties of magnolias are being developed around the world every year to enhance the ornamental qualities of magnolias, which are distinguished by the colour, size and shape of their flowers.
Vilnius University Botanical Garden aims to create a collection of the most suitable magnolias for cultivation in Lithuania. The most adapted magnolia species and varieties to grow in Lithuanian conditions are selected. The varieties are selected on the basis of their ornamental qualities, which are most representative of the variety of ornamental features of magnolias.
It is believed that magnolias began to be cultivated in Europe around 300 years ago. They arrived in Lithuania in the 20th century. The collection was started in VU Botanical Garden in 1978. The first plants of the collection (species) were cultivated from seeds. By 2017, the collection contained 8 species of magnolias. Since 2017, the collection has been expanded every year with new varieties of magnolias.
For the magnolia collection, we select the magnolias with the best winter cold tolerance, which can grow in USDA cold hardiness zones 4-5. Efforts are also made to select varieties of different stature, ranging in height from 3.5 m to several meters. Another selection criterion is the colour of the magnolia flowers. Varieties range from white to very dark shades. They can be white, pink, yellow, red, or purple. Modern varieties of magnolia are distinguished not only by the colour range of the blossom, but also by the shape of the blossom, such as a bell, bowl, bowl with a cup, champagne flute, cup, or cocktail glass.
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Star magnolia (Magnolia stellata (Siebold & Zucc.) Maxim.) Tree or shrub, 4.5-6 m tall, 3-4.5 m wide, with a globular crown. The flowers are white, ornamental, fragrant, and star-like, about 8 cm across. The flower consists of 12-18 narrow petals. Sometimes suffers from spring frosts. Homeland: Japan. Resistant to frost. |
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Japanese bigleaf magnolia (Magnolia obovata Thunb.) About 15 m tall and 10 m wide. Leaves are oblong-ovate to 40cm long and about 20 cm wide, clustered in a few clusters at the apex of the shoots, green. The flowers are cream-coloured, up to 20 cm across, and consist of up to 12 petals. Blooms after leaves fully open. The clustered fruit is cylindrical, up to 15cm long, green at first and reddish-brown when ripe.
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Magnolia (Magnolia) 'Sunsation' The tree is about 6 m tall and about 3 m wide. The flowers are yellow, the leaves green. It flowers before the leaves open, from April to May. The variety was bred in 1997 by August Kehr, Carolina, USA. A cross between M. x brooklynensis 'Woodsman' x M. 'Elizabeth'.
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Magnolia (Magnolia) 'Susan' A small tree or shrub that grows up to 3 m wide and of similar height. The flowers are purple, and the leaves are green and glossy. It flowers in April-May and again in mid-summer, but not as profusely. The variety was bred in 1950 at the National Arboretum, Washington. A cross between M. liliiflora 'Nigra' x M. stellata 'Rosea'.
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