Magnolia ‘Vulcan’ is a wonderful magnolia that flowers in late winter here in Sydney and looks utterly fabulous with its dark pink flowers that appear before the leaves. From the limited information that I could find on the internet about the parents of this magnolia hybrid are Magnolia campbellii subspecies mollicomata ‘Larnarth’ and Magnolia liliiflora ‘’Nigra’ and it was bred in New Zealand by Felix Jury. As with all magnolias, this one belongs in the Magnoliaceae family.

Magnolia ‘Vulcan’ is a small, deciduous tree that reaches a height and spread of between four and eight metres. As already mentioned, the flowers appear before the leaves in late winter, with leaves appearing in spring.

Full sun to partial shade is preferred, in a northerly (southerly in the northern hemisphere) and/or westerly facing area of the garden. This magnolia is able to tolerate winter temperatures down to around -10 degrees Celsius from what I have read, but late frosts have the potential to damage flowers and flower buds. It does need to be protected from cold winds too.

Soil conditions required are moist but well-drained soil with an acid is to neutral pH. Soil type-whether clay, loam or sand doesn’t provide any issue at all, providing the other qualities are met.

To propagate this lovely tree, softwood cuttings can be taken in spring and early summer while semi-ripe cuttings can be taken in late summer and autumn. If pruning is required, it should be done in summer when in full leaf.

Pests that could become an issue include scale insects, horse chestnut scale and capsid bug. Potential diseases include coral spot, phytophthora, grey moulds and honey fungus. As with anything, ensuring that the tree is healthy and has all its needs met will allow resistance to these problems compared to unhealthy trees.

I saw this tree in all its colourful glory in August in Sydney’s botanical garden gardens. The flowers really are why this tree should be in your garden if you have the space-the deep pink is a fabulous colour and was one of the highlights of my visit that day.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/46896/magnolia-vulcan/details