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Name: Magnolia x loebneri ‘Leonard Messel’ Leonard Messel Magnolia
Campus Location: Heintz Center SMART Gardens
This hybrid magnolia originated as a chance cross between Magnolia kobus and Magnolia stellata ‘Rosea’ in Sussex, England. The fragrant 12-15 tepaled flowers are 4-6” across, flushed with a purple-pink center line on the inside and fuchsia-pink color on the back side of the tepal. Magnolias should be planted in sun or part shade with moist, well drained soil. Magnolias will not tolerate ‘wet feet.’ ‘Leonard Messel’ is more frost resistant in flower than other early flowering magnolias. This is important because Magnolias flower early spring before leaf-out and before the average last spring frost in southeastern Minnesota. Minnesota weather is harsh on magnolias so plant in a protected site. The mature height of ‘Leonard Messel’ is 15 to 20 feet. Magnolias are named after Pierre Magnol who was a French professor of botany.
Updated: March 2, 2012 1:40 PM
