Magnolia 'DAYBREAK'

When I first saw flowers of this magnolia my heart stopped beating. It was such a gorgeous sight of a divinely pink colour that must be a showstopper for everyone with at least the tiniest bit of aesthetical feeling. What a creation! It is one of the last hybrids bred by Dr.August E.Kehr from North Carolina, USA, that was named Daybreak and introduced in 1980. It was listed as a variety as late as 10 years later in 1990. It is a cross between magnolia x brooklynensis „Woodsman“ and magnolia x “Tina Durio”.

Daybreak magnolia has a unique shade of pink. The flower buds are slim and tall, rich pink but not garish. They show small, flame-like triangles of green colour at the bottom of their calyxes. The buds take quite some time looking precious for many days before they open wide into fascinating, soft pink colour that is only disturbed by almost white shade of the triangles that were green on the outside. The centre shows a profusion of purple red stamens and yellow pistil. Perfume is the inherent feature of Daybreak magnolia – it is rich, sweet-based with a special citrus hint. It is precocious.

The leaves are quite large, deciduous, mid green, with wavy margins. It forms a slender shrub or a small tree of a compact shape with good branching structure and many flowers. Daybreak magnolia flowers as a 2-year-old graft. Magnolias are not supposed to be pruned. You can prune old shrubs if ill, or trim them to shape or to reduce size, or make an elementary cut to young plants of unsightly or unhealthy appearance. Do this as soon as possible after flowering to secure setting of flower buds for the following year. Be aware that each magnolia can respond differently to pruning.

Deciduous magnolias are quite easy plants. All they need is light, well-drained, acidic soil with equal moisture throughout the year. Once established they can do with occasional drought but will not look as nice as the ones with regular watering. Just pay attention to how to plant your magnolia. First, find it a spot where it will live forever and ever. It does not like transplanting. As it makes shallow roots reaching well over its spread stay away from disturbing the roots by digging or messing about around it. Just cover the soil with bark mulch and do not plant anything else near it after say the second year after planting onwards. You could damage the very important top roots that absorb maximum moisture and nutrients from the soil. Also avoid planting magnolia too deep. Thus you could be digging its grave. Hardy to approx. -27°C or even -29°C for a limited period of time (USDA zone 5).

Last update 12-03-2012