Micheli (1679-1737) was also a Catholic priest and a professor of botany in Pisa. He worked mainly with fungi but was also an avid plant collector. It’s fitting that he was honoured by having plants named after him. Unfortunately now this honour has been removed. 

The genus Michelia is no more – DNA testing has made plant relationships easier to understand, and testing reveals that the old group of plants named as Michelia really belong to the Magnolia. 

The name Michelia has been used for so long that it’s all but impossible to eradicate it quickly – it’s still in use and plants in nurseries may still be labelled as Michelia for a few years to come – it’s a slow process.

A small blessing in disguise is the fact that everyone says Magnolia in the same way, unlike Michelia, which was pronounced my-key-lee-ah or as mish-ell-ee-ah.

One of the most commonly grown ex-Michelia species is Magnolia figo. This plant is commonly known as the port wine magnolia. This fragrant shrub is evergreen and grows to approximately three metres high. The smallish flowers are highly fragrant, smelling of bubble gum or bananas, a great plant for hedging.

My favourite member of this group is the Magnolia doltsopa. This small evergreen tree produces a mass of teacup sized flowers in late winter and early spring. 

So what do you get if you cross Magnolia figo with Magnolia doltsopa – no this isn’t a joke! 

What you get is magnolia X ‘bubbles’. This hybrid is a really interesting small tree which, like both parents, is evergreen. It has glossy green leaves and its habit of growth is to become a pyramidal shaped tree. It produces white flowers, which have pale pink margins in winter/spring and the flowers are fragrant.

The old Michelia yunanensis – now called Magnolia laevifolia has a form grown for its brilliant flowering ability. This variety is called scented pearl. This plant is hardy, is evergreen and tolerant of most locations. In spring it produces mildly scented, whitish flowers in absolute abundance. Preferring a well-drained soil, which is slightly acidic, this plant is perfect for hedging or screening and grows to about three metres tall.

Magnolia or Michelia – it really doesn’t matter as yet, what is important is just how suitable these plants are for local gardens.

Diary: Basic propagation workshop at Wodonga TAFE. Saturday, October 6, for mid spring-cuttings, 9.30am to 12.30pm, $50. For more information call 1300 MY TAFE (1300 698 233).