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Magnolia ‘Pegasus’
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Image © Judy Newton |
Printer-friendly Fact Sheet
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| Outstanding Qualities |
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Pegasus is the winged horse of Greek mythology – a great name for this magnolia as it has flown around the world. It started as a seed of Magnolia cylindrica at Lu Shan Botanic Garden in China. It germinated (about 1936) under the care of the late Mrs. Norman Henry of Pennsylvania. In about 1950, cuttings were sent to the Seattle’s Washington Park Arboretum and to the late Sir Harold Hillier in England. It was at Hillier Gardens that it became a star, attracting the admiration of all who saw it. It grows as wide as it does tall, with 6-inch-long, dark green leaves that smell of anise seed when crushed. Its 4-inch-tall flowers appear in April and show remarkable resistance to frost. They are white with a flush of pale pink at the base of each tepal. By late summer the flowers develop into 4-inch-long, bright red, cylindrical seed pods. Closer examination of this lovely tree indicated it to be a hybrid (perhaps with M. denudata). That is why Roy Lancaster changed its name simply to ‘Pegasus’. |
| Culture |
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Magnolia ‘Pegasus’ thrives in fertile, humus-rich soil in light, dappled shade. It is reliably hardy to zone 5 and may even be hardy to zone 4. Garden gently under magnolias, for they have fleshy roots that can easily be damaged. The best approach for companions plants is to tuck in natural spreaders and let them flourish untouched. |
| Growing Habit |
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‘Pegasus’ grows to about 10 feet wide and high in as many years. The mature plant of this clone at Hillier Gardens and Arboretum in England is over 30 feet tall and wide. |
| Hardiness |
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USDA zones 5 to 8 |
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© 2009 Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden
Funded by the Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation
Administered by the Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden