Golden sunlight bursting through the dreary winter days; that’s the gift of a yellow flowered Magnolia. These unusually hardy magnolias can withstand far colder temperatures than their pink and white flowered counterparts, and their sweet yellow color is unsurpassed.

The sturdy parent of modern day yellow Magnolias is the hardy North American deciduous native called the Cucumber Tree (Magnolia acuminata); crossed with Yulan Magnolia (Magnolia denudata), or Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata).

We have several yellow varieties available during the Winter/Spring season. 'Elizabeth' was one of the first commercially available yellow magnolias and is still by far the most popular. Its precocious flowers are fragrant, in the softest, palest flower color on large, cup-shaped blooms (similar to Magnolia denudata). It can be a single or multi-stemmed, broadly pyramidal tree, growing to 35 feet tall and 20 to 25 feet wide in the perfect setting. My favorite Magnolia 'Elizabeth' graces the courtyard at Filoli gardens in Woodside.

'Butterflies' is slightly darker than 'Elizabeth' and prolifically produces 4-5 inch flowers with red stamens. Its mature size is smaller, staying under 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide at maturity. This makes it a great candidate for the small city garden.

One of the most popular yellows and until now rather hard to find is Magnolia 'Sundance', with incredible huge (8 inch) golden yellow flowers. Glowing like a summer sunset, these barium yellow saucer-shaped flowers appear on bare branches before the new leaves. 'Sundance' will stay small at 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide.

Two wonderful upright, single-trunked yellow magnolias are 'Yellow Bird' and 'Yellow Lantern'. They are both popular for narrow areas. 'Yellow Lantern' works well as a street tree due to its smaller height, rarely reaching 25 feet. 'Yellow Lantern' is a pure pale lemon yellow and very cup-shaped, while 'Yellow Bird' flowers are yellow tinged with green. 'Yellow Bird' blooms later when the leaves appear, creating a more subtle display.

As with all Magnolias, select the site carefully as they do not like to be relocated. The optimum setting in the Bay Area is full sun with protection from wind. Provide rich well-drained soil, and regular water. Do not plant the area around your Magnolia; simply apply a layer of mulch to allow the shallow roots room to breathe. Treat yourself to sunshine during the winter months in the gift of a yellow Magnolia.

– Heidi

Magnolia List for 2005