Magnolia 'Ricki'

Magnolia 'Ricki' is a small tree or a spreading shrub that turns into one solid bouquet in spring. Cup-shaped flowers 10-15 cm across open on bare branches: the petals are reddish-purple outside and noticeably paler within, so the whole crown plays in two tones at once.

Its great advantage is late flowering: in April and May, some 2-4 weeks after Magnolia stellata and Magnolia x soulangiana, so late frosts spoil the blooms far less often. It grows to 2.4-3.7 m in height and width. Plant it as a lawn specimen, in a foundation group or at a woodland edge, sheltered from wind.

Key characteristics:

• What makes it special: The flowers are distinctly fragrant, and on a warm, still day you catch their scent before you even reach the shrub.
• Dimensions: Grows to 2.4-3.7 m in height and 2.4-3.7 m in width at maturity.
• Hardiness: Winters outdoors in the ground - hardy to -34 °C (USDA zone 4).
• Flowering: In April-May reddish-purple cup-shaped flowers open, lighter on the inside.
• Light: Full sun or partial shade; choose a spot sheltered from strong wind and avoid warm southern aspects.
• Soil: Likes soil rich in organic matter, neutral or slightly acidic, well-drained and of medium moisture.
• Watering: Water moderately and evenly, and mulch the root area to hold the moisture in.
• Care: The fleshy roots resent transplanting, so choose the spot once and for good; prune only when needed, after flowering.
• Landscape use: A specimen on the lawn, foundation plantings, a shrub border, a woodland edge, and a tall informal hedge.
• Origin: A cultivar from the Little Girl series, raised at the US National Arboretum in the mid-1950s by Francis de Vos and William Kosar.