Yellow Bird

Yellow Bird is, as the name suggests, a yellow-flowered Magnolia. The yellow is more intense than some other yellow-flowered Magnolias, and similar to yellow daffodils.

It is in flower towards the end of the Magnolia blossom season - in May. The flowers typically last about three weeks, and unlike many Magnolias the leaves are borne at the same time.

Yellow Bird grows with a compact upright habit, and is a good choice if you want a Magnolia for a smaller garden.

Yellow Bird magnolia trees for sale

• 3-year pot-grown tree £85.00
  In a 12L pot
  Medium size (2.5m-3.5m after 10 years)
  

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Order now for delivery from week commencing 4th November for pot grown trees or December for bare-root or mixed tree orders.

How to grow

As with all Magnolias, plant in a sunny sheltered spot for best results. However Yellow Bird is very late flowering by Magnolia standards and should escape most frosts.

History

Yellow Bird was developed by Doris Stone of the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and introduced in 1981. It is a good example of a "back-cross", in other words crossing a hybrid (developed from two different Magnolia species) with one of the parents in order to try to get a more of an influence from that parent. In this case the parentage is Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Evamaria' and Magnolia acuminata - one of the parents of 'Evamaria'.  Magnolia acuminata is known in the USA as the 'Cucumber tree' and has larger leaves and more vigorous growth than some Magnolias. The result of the back-cross is a more intense yellow flower than 'Evamaria', as well as later flowering, with the flowers are borne alongside the leaves.

Like many of the hybrid Magnolias developed at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens it is assigned to the hybrid species Magnolia x brooklynensis.

Yellow Bird characteristics

• Gardening skillBeginner
• Attractive featuresAttractive flowersAttractive tree / plant
• Growth habitUpright
• Height after 10 years3m-5m / 10ft-16ft
• SunlightPrefers full sun
• PruningLight prune
• Growth rateAverage
• Site conditionsSheltered siteFree-draining site
• Flower colourYellow
• Flowering monthMay
• Leaf colourGreen
• Leaf/Flower sequenceLeaves and Flowers appear together
• Country of originUnited States
• Annual cycleDeciduous

Similar varieties

• 
  Magnolia
  Elizabeth
  Elizabeth is a small late-flowering Magnolia which displays yellow spring flowers on bare branches.

What will it look like?

Illustrative example of a pot-grown tree of this variety as supplied. Approximate girth: 6/8cm. We try to keep all pot-grown trees down to about 1.5m as supplied, but some may be larger. Trees should reach their mature height after about 10 or more years.