| Magnolia ×wieseneri | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Hybrid parentage | Magnolia sieboldii ×Magnolia obovata |
| Cultivar | xwieseneri |
| Origin | Japan |
Magnolia ×wieseneri is ahybridplant in the genusMagnolia and familyMagnoliaceae. A small tree or large shrub with white highly fragrant blooms, it is the progeny ofMagnolia sieboldii andMagnolia obovata.[1]
The origins ofMagnolia × wieseneri are obscure, but it is thought to have been a result of deliberate cross-breeding between the parent species some time in the 19th century or earlier in Japan, where it is known asGyo Kusui orUkesaki Oyama-renage. It entered European horticulture at the 1889Paris Exposition, where it was on display at the Japanese Court stand. From here, it was collected forKew Gardens, and namedMagnolia × watsonii byJoseph Hooker in 1891. However,Élie-Abel Carrière had named a specimen six months earlier in 1890 after a Mr Wiesener, who had purchased a plant from a Japanese horticulturist at theTrocadéro at the same time as the Exposition, and hence the French botanist's name was preserved underInternational Code of Botanical Nomenclature naming rules.[1]
Magnolia × wieseneri is a multistemmed large shrub or small tree which may reach 6 m (20 ft) in height; it has leathery obovate green leaves that reach 20 cm (8 in) long by 10.5 cm (4 in) wide. Its most notable feature is the remarkable fragrance of the ivory-coloured flowers, which has been likened to pineapples and seen adjectives such as "ethereal", "spicy" and "aromatic" used.[1] The flowers are cup-shaped at first, with a diameter of 10-12.5 cm (4–5 in), before flattening out to a diameter of 15–20 cm (6–8 in) after a few days.
A chance seedling, from the garden of Sir Peter Smithers atVico Morcote in Switzerland, with more vigorous growth and larger flowers has been described asMagnolia "William Watson".[1] The garden owner Smithers observed that there were specimens ofM. obovata flowering nearby and that the cultivar is possibly a backcross withobovata.[2]