Magnolia hypoleuca - Honoki magnolia

The enchanting big one: May belongs to Magnolia hypoleuca

Honoki magnolia, Magnolia hypoleuca, Japanese large-leaf magnolia or Magnolia obovata: many names lead to our plant of the month. All of these names reflect the essential characteristics of this deciduous plant.

It originated in the mountain forests of Japan and on the Russian Kuril Islands. There it reaches heights of up to 20 meters. In our climes, it only grows to half this height.

The trunk with its smooth, gray bark is inconspicuous, as are the dark green to purple-brown branches and twigs. The crown is beautifully closed and rounded. The flowers and leaves attract all the attention.

The flowers and leaves have one thing in common: big, larger, beautiful

The plump petals have an oval shape, like an inverted egg (obovate). Each leaf is up to 20 cm wide and up to 40 cm long, which alone makes the plant an eye-catcher. If you only look at the glossy light to medium green upper leaf sides, the Japanese large-leaved magnolia is easy to confuse with the umbrella magnolia. However, its slightly hairy bluish-green underside makes it unique.

What makes the Magnolia hypoleuca a true goddess are its flowers: matching the leaves, the creamy white to yellowish-white flowers have a diameter of up to 20 cm The perianth in turn has petals (sepals) that turn slightly reddish towards the outside.

They unfurl together with the leaves from March to June, although in some regions only every two years.

And how could it be otherwise, the flowers naturally exude a strong, very pleasant fragrance. Some say it is reminiscent of melon.

Crunchy, crunchy crunchy ...

In areas with an abundance of hoofed game, the Honoki magnolia has more fans than it deserves. Roe deer and red deer in particular find the buds, leaves and twigs of the young plants a real treat. This interest, known in technical jargon as browsing, goes beyond a light nibble and is therefore critical for the plant to thrive and grow. And although our plant of the month is hardy in itself, late frost is also a danger to budding.

Magnolia hypoleuca shows elegance in a wind-protected single location. A plant with such unique flowers and foliage deserves it.