Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum

Plant Identification => Plant Identification Questions and Answers => Topic started by: Giles on May 29, 2009, 01:14:39 PM

Title: Unknown shrub.
Post by: Giles on May 29, 2009, 01:14:39 PM

I saw this at Wisley.
About 5 ft tall, stongly fastigiate. It had both 'Magnolia' and 'Michelia' on the label !
From the USA, but no species name.
Thankyou for your thoughts.

Title: Re: Unknown shrub.
Post by: Maggi Young on May 29, 2009, 01:39:30 PM

Maybe a form of Michelia figo, Giles?
 I'm not very sure where Magnolias stop and Michelias start!  :-\ Maybe Kew has the same problem?  ;D

Title: Re: Unknown shrub.
Post by: Giles on May 29, 2009, 02:04:23 PM

Looks a convincing match, Maggi.
- and in a somewhat spooky coincidence 'The Plantsman' has just arrived through my letterbox, with an article saying Michelia's are all Magnolias now anyway!

Title: Re: Unknown shrub.
Post by: Maggi Young on May 29, 2009, 02:12:30 PM

Quote from: Giles on May 29, 2009, 02:04:23 PM

Looks a convincing match, Maggi.
- and in a somewhat spooky coincidence 'The Plantsman' has just arrived through my letterbox, with an article saying Michelia's are all Magnolias now anyway!

It is as I thought, then; there is often a clue! ;D

Title: Re: Unknown shrub.
Post by: Onion on May 29, 2009, 06:12:29 PM

Giles,

you say the shrub is from USA? I learned that genus Michelia is only in Asia. So it must be a Magnolia.

Title: Re: Unknown shrub.
Post by: Giles on May 29, 2009, 06:21:50 PM

Uli,
It was only a handwritten label on the plant.
It may be that the plant was obtained from the US, rather than being a native plant of the US.
(Does anyone write names in notebooks anymore ?   ;) )

Title: Re: Unknown shrub.
Post by: Giles on May 31, 2009, 07:35:03 PM

I found out that Magnolias have terminal flowers whereas Michelias have axillary flowers, so it would have been a Michelia, before it became a Magnolia.

Title: Re: Unknown shrub.
Post by: Maggi Young on May 31, 2009, 07:49:14 PM

Thanks, Giles, I will try to remember that.  :)

Title: Re: Unknown shrub.
Post by: Onion on May 31, 2009, 09:11:45 PM

Giles,

googled for Michelia 'Picotee' I find this link

http://gardenbreizh.org/photos/HIBOU/photo-76814.html

Maybe helpful.

Title: Re: Unknown shrub.
Post by: Giles on June 01, 2009, 08:50:42 AM

Thankyou, Uli.
(another one to add to my wish list  :D)

Title: Re: Unknown shrub.
Post by: Stephenb on June 03, 2009, 03:20:17 PM

I have a picture (a slide unfortunately) of Michelia figo taken in Hortus, Amsterdam in 2004. The leaves are apparently used to scent tea and the flowers have a banana scent, hence the English name, Banana shrub...