Magnolia laevifolia Vanilla Pearls® - - Michelia yunnanensis

The Magnolia laevifolia Vanilla Pearls® is a dwarf cultivar derived from the Michelia yunnanensis, now classified as Magnolia. It forms a bushy shrub, rounded, densely ramified, slow-growing, with particularly modest dimensions, as it does not exceed 70 cm in all directions at ripeness. Its decorative evergreen foliage, dark green and glossy, is covered in spring with fluffy and golden buds that open into an abundance of highly fragrant creamy white flowers, followed by a summer flowering, always popular with bees. Hardy down to -12°C, this variety prefers a sunny exposure and withstands drought well.

The Magnolia laevifolia or Michelia yunnanensis is a shrub close to the Magnolia native to China. It belongs to the Magnoliaceae family. The Vanilla Pearls® cultivar distinguishes itself from its wild ancestor by its much more compact habit and darker green foliage. It is a dense and bushy small tree, with a rather round crown. It features evergreen foliage composed of elongated to ovate, glossy and leathery leaves, of a beautiful dark green colour. Slow-growing, it only reaches 70 cm in height with a similar spread at maturity. Between April and June, it adorns its branches with fuzzy chamois-coloured buds, which bloom into large cream corollas, enhanced by prominent light yellow stamens, exhaling a delightful lemony fragrance. The flowering offers a lighter rebloom in summer, followed by decorative fruiting in the form of pink pods, opening to reveal shiny purple seeds.

The Magnolia Vanilla Pearls® is a shrub of great ornamental value, with many qualities, perfectly suited for container cultivation and small gardens. While it can be grown in partial shade, it prefers a full sun exposure and shows great resistance to drought and diseases, including leaf spots. In containers, ensure regular watering. In the garden, it can be planted in a group of shrubs, within a small flowering hedge or as a standalone in a formal garden. This species is easily shaped into topiary. Pair it with shrubs or perennial plants with white and yellow flowering to brighten up your flower beds or hedges! It will complement all heather soil shrubs (Rhododendrons, Japanese or Chinese Azaleas, Hydrangeas...), Magellan Fuchsias, Japanese Anemones or Lilies. At its base, you can, for example, plant Japanese Grasses or Liriopes.