Magnolia sapaensis FMWJ 13330

The promise and potential of a fat unripened bud, many times we have fallen prey to the relentless teasing of flowers which appear JUST ABOUT TO OPEN for days or weeks on end. Well, you might just keep waiting on this one, but really that's not too bad a thing when it comes to Magnolia flowers. Personally I find the globe or chalice stage of magnolia flowers to often be the choicest moment. This species takes that to a high art, with large orbs of white brushed with purple, which in the rare instances they do open, reveal luciously white tepals centered by a circle of blood-red stamens. Plus the tree itself is nothing to turn your nose at, attractive large evergreen leaves and suprisingly hardy given it's Northern Vietnamese heritage. Forms a large shrub to small tree but fast growing, and however reticent to flower in full, these are known to flower at a relatively young age. So at least you won't be kept waiting to be kept waiting for too long.