The purple magnolia originates in Yunnan, and can become a small tree with a maximum height of 4 m. The flowers are purple, smell delicious and can be 13 cm big. They appear in the spring simultaneously with the leaves (whereas with other magnolias the flowers appear before the leaves). The flowers are primitive, since the magnolia is evolutionary one of the first flowers.

A more commonly sold variety is the magnolia nigra. Originally, the petals of that variety should be evenly purple, but that is often not the case anymore. Therefore, the nigra variety has started to resemble the primordial species. These seeds are from the primordial species.

Sowing description: Let the seeds soak for 24 hours in lukewarm water, and then sow them in a sowing mixture. After sowing, put the pot in the fridge for over 8 weeks. The soil should stay moist during this period, so cover the pot in plastic foil. After the period of 8 weeks, let the seeds germinate at 20-15 degC.

Family: Magnoliaceae
Scientific name: Magnolia liliiflora
Common name: Purple magnolia
Native to: Yunnan, China

Sowing time: November - may
Difficulty: Intermediate
Minimum temperature: -15 degrees Celsius