The Yulan magnolia is the first plant ever brought into cultivation, found around temples all over China.

Anderson names 11 nurseries that offer the Yulan magnolia, and three sell seeds as well as plants.

The yulan magnolias (Magnolia denudata) are also blooming now, and there's a 30-foot beauty in the plaza.

Following close upon the season of the star magnolia is the Yulan magnolia (M. denudata) with its clean white flowers.

Yulan Magnolia (Magnolia denudata), a Pennsylvania state champion; 4.

This species is one of the parents of the very popular hybrid Saucer magnolia, M. x soulangeana, the other parent being the Yulan magnolia, M. denudata.

What if you happened to read in Henry Mitchell's "One Man's Garden" (Houghton Mifflin, 1992) that the Yulan magnolia is absolutely the best of the whole species?

In 1840 it contained 12 camellia varieties, 4 peony varieties, 202 chrysanthemum varieties, a good rose garden, and an enormous Yulan Magnolia that took four men a full day to plant.

So would the Magnolia denudata, whose pure white buds were just opening their down-facing satiny blossoms.

Yulan (Magnolia denudata)

Yulan Magnolia (Magnolia denudata), a Pennsylvania state champion; 4.

"That Magnolia denudata blooms on Feb. 4 every year, on my mother's birthday," said Ms. Donahue, who planted the tree when her mother died, about three years ago.

So, Magnolia xsoulangeana applies to all progeny from the cross Magnolia denudata x Magnolia liliiflora, and from the crosses of all their progeny, as well as from crosses of any of the progeny back to the parents.

Established in 1988, The Magnolia Garden covers 1.51 hectares and has 40 species, including Magnolia denudata, Magnolia liliiflora, Magnolia grandiflora, Magnolia cylindrica, Magnolia amoena, Michelia chapensis, Liriodendron chinense and others, including Magnolia x soulangeana.