APRIL: Magnolias

The first Magnolia that I knew was the famous ice cream brand in the Philippines. Ice creams were for birthdays and the whole tub of about 1.5 liters was eaten in one go as we didn’t have a fridge until I was a teenager.

I remember magnolias to be green shrubs with small white flowers. So when I moved to Switzerland, I failed to recognize the tall ancient trees, some over 5 meters, devoid of leaves but bursting into a cloud of large white, pale or dark pink flowers. My mother again, came to the rescue – “They’re magnolias!” I was incredulous. Of course I had to have one.

Apparently there are between 200-300 species of the family Magnoliaceae, named after French botanist Pierre Magnol. From shrubs to small trees like the ones in the Philippines (Magnolia philippinensis – of course!), to the evergreen trees I spied in the US (Magnolia denudata) and the massive deciduous trees that is more common here (Magnolia soulangeana).

Magnolia liliiflora nigra

Magnolia is apparently an ancient flower which appeared before the bees. Beetles pollinated it, so it had evolved sturdy carpels to avoid damage. Fossilized specimens of Magnolia acuminata have been found dating back to 20 million years ago.

Magnolia soulangeana 'Rustica Rubra

Magnolias are also known as ‘Chinese magnolias’ and ‘tulip trees’. They are mainly found in east and southeast Asia but also in the West Indies and Americas.

Kirche Enge

When 4 years of dropping hints that I would REALLY like a magnolia tree in the garden fell on deaf ears, a perfect opportunity came up - my 50th birthday. My girlfriends asked what I wanted - a magnolia tree of course. The space was chosen at the back of the house. It required moving the garden shed 1m back and closer to the fence. Darling H added a small decking and a beautiful bench. Then sighed dramatically – that this was typical of my ‘projects’. Supposedly costing not much – but by the time he had the garden shed moved, the decking built, a beautiful bench sourced (& engraved for the occasion) and the area re-planted, my little project was not as little nor as modest as first intended. But it was my 50th and so I got away with it.

Klusplatz, Snowing in Klusplatz, and Kluspark

Then my griping started. Clearly I haven’t done as much research on magnolias as I needed to have done. I was very adamant that I wanted not white nor pale pink but DARK PINK. The space didn’t warrant the large tree species that grows up to 5m. So the gardener said what I needed was Magnolia liliiflora nigra. I had 3 blooms in the first spring. But I didn’t recognise them. Apparently they’re the star-shaped variety. Not what I had in mind which is the bowl or goblet-shaped flower. I have since established that what I really wanted was Magnolia soulangeana 'Rustica Rubra' – to be precise. But they do grow to be large trees and not suitable to the designated space.

Hottingerplatz

Around M’s birthday in mid-March, I am on the lookout for the magnolia blooms. The best dark pinks is still at Kirche Enge followed by the ones at Rotes Schloss. My favourite pale pinks are in Klusplatz, and Kluspark. And for the white magnolias, the lone tree behind the police station in Hottingerplatz and in the extensive gardens of the Rietberg Museum.

Rietberg Museum garden

MY ‘designated tree'

Magnolias are slow growing. Monty Don, host of a UK gardening show I sometimes watch said that for your to enjoy a magnolia, your grandfather should have planted it! Each year I get more flowers. This year, it’s 6th spring, it’s the best yet . It is still shrubby at nearly 2 meters. But it is special in that it is my ‘designated tree’. My family knows my last wishes – use what organs/parts they can and what’s left is cremated and used to fertilise a designated tree. In Hongkong where we used to live, it was a ficus tree. Here in Zürich, it is MY magnolia. Maybe then it will grow into a tree - like this magnificent magnolia in San Jose. I was driving near Coyote Creek when I had to pull over and take this photo.

Near Coyote Creek, San Jose