I remember that once i saw a magnolia with flowers in winter and leaves during the rest of the year. flowers where white. any idea wich one? thanks
Was the tree evergreen or deciduous? If it was deciduous, did it flower before the leaves came out? How big was it & did it have many petals (>10). If you remember those details, a tenative ID is possible. With the current info, it could one of several. Simon
There are not that many species of deciduous Magnolia that have white flowers and flower precociously. If there was a hint of pink in the flower the choices greatly increase. I AM assuming that your tree was a species Magnolia. Again, if it was a hybrid, the choices are numerous. For a start, it could be M. salicifolia, kobus, denudata, or cylindrica. All have less than 10 petals and have white flowers before the leaves. Do you remember the size & shape of the leaves. Search google images for those species and see which one looks similar to what you remember. Simon
The Denudata looks very similar to my memories... Now will try to go and buy one :) I also want to get another magnolia that would not grow as tree (like just 1 or 2 meters) is there any you would recommend.. Thanks a lot you were fantastic-.
The most "dwarf" magnolia that I am aware of, that is relatively easy to find is Magnolia grandiflora 'Little Gem'. I don't think it is what you are looking for. 'Little Gem' grows as a dense shrub reaching up to 6 metres high and 3 metres wide in 20 years (according to Michael Dirr). You should consider another shrub for your location if you cannot accommodate such a large plant. Raakel
How about M. figo (more commonly known as Michelia figo), an evergreen shrub with flowers having the fragrance of ripe bananas? Slow growing to around 3m it is somewhat taller than what you're looking for. I believe Portugal is in USDA zone 9 or 10 so it may work for you.
