The scent comes alive on warm days. You will love it. Enjoy.

Kasie

Shadowlover, congrats on your purchase! Unfortunately, there seems to be a problem with that name. Many nurseries are calling the regular Michelia figo "Michelia figo 'Port Wine'" because of the red/wine-colored rim on the flowers. There are several different varieties of Michelia figo, and some have the red rim and some do not. The real port wine is solid maroon and looks like the picture below.

Every time I buy a Michelia figo "Port Wine," it turns out to be the regular Michelia figo. I am currently waiting to see if my last purchase is the real thing or not. In any case, all Michelia figo's are lovely and smell great so enjoy your new plant.

This one is Michelia figo var. skinneriana
{{gwi:784851}}

This one is the real Michelia figo 'Port Wine'
{{gwi:785171}}

That's how my nurseryman had described it! Is that your image Clare? Wish it was in a plant database somewhere, I googled and all I could find was the one shown. Well, I did just find one just listed under M. Figo right here in the Hortiplex!

Does it bloom more than one flush? I am hoping that this is the correct one, since my new-found nurseryman hangs in some good circles and has 'fallen' for Michelias, among others.

I'll post his link, but he doesn't do much shipping.

Here is a link that might be useful: Towaliga Plants

Hi,shadowlover. My figo last spring bloomed new flowers every day for over a month, maybe 6 weeks. My figo scinneriana bloomed last fall new flowers for over two months and eked on thru the winter one or two a day.

Do you will get lots of flowers. Nice find!

Towagila has a very nice array of fine plants, shadow. Thanks for the tip.

Shadow, it sounds like your nurseryman knows his plants so maybe you got the maroon one! I hope so because it is gorgeous. Please post pictures, if you can, when it blooms. The maroon one is not my picture, and I should have given credit to the photographer when I posted it. It belongs to cfgphoto.com.

All three of my M. figos are blooming now or about to bloom, and I think they only bloom in the springtime, but Mehitabel got some in the fall and through the winter.

The picture was taken 3 years ago in my garden. Michelia figo 'Stubb's Purple'

Here is a link that might be useful:

Hi cloob! It's great to see you again. That 'Stubb's Purple' is gorgeous.

Yes cloob, that is gorgeous.

Kasie

cloob, for sure that photo is the real Port Wine?? You have both? Would love to hear more about them.

Now I simply must have Stubb's Purple!

Thanks all for the compliments on the Michelia. The plant was originally intended as a rootstock for grafting. I found the plant at a little nursery in San Francisco in a four inch pot When the plant first flowered there were no fragrance. The fragrance now is that of a penetrating perfume with a hint of banana. The fragrance I believe is more intense than the regular figo. shadowlover-the plant was label 'Stubbs Purple' I have others that are label 'Port Wine' but like Clare said many a times the plants are label what the growers believe them to be, or from the sources they get it from. So what figo do I have? I just enjoy the end product, the flower.

Mislabeling rate of U.S. nursery stock in general has been said to be about 33%. Seems high, but the main point is that you will meet alot of plants in nurseries that aren't what the tag says.

One in Seattle, received as Michelia figo, is intermediate: yellow on the outside, purple-flushed within. For a photo...

Here is a link that might be useful: Plant of the Month

Wouldn't be the first time, nursery near me has two varieties of figo, one is much taller than the other and cheaper. When I asked, they said they didn't know why, when I came back again, they were still marked up the same. I'm guessing one of them is the skinneriana, i.e the smaller more expensive one, or maybe, maybe, it's the port wine variant. Will have to see later on this spring.

Here is my Michelia figo, which is starting to bloom.

{{gwi:785174}}

I am very encouraged by the color of my M. figo 'Port Wine' because the outside color does look quite purple. The leaves are also much lighter than my other M. figos.

{{gwi:785176}}

I have 2 Figos in bloom right now, they are different from each other, the one that has the most blooms is a more bushy sticklike plant with a lot of buds, the flower is normal yellow, then my other one I bought in a chinese grocery store is very delicate in shape and the flower that just bloomed today is dark yellow and on the inside petals it has varigated marroon but not solid marroon. I was wondering if this was a different from normal figo flower??? If I had a camera that takes great close up pictures I would post it.
What do you think?

I think there are many different hybrids of Michelia figo. I have a couple of regular ones, and the flowers of those look a little different from each other. The M. figo "Port Wine" that I have is solid maroon inside with some yellow on the outside.

I took a picture of my strong figo flower, the other one is not as strong.
{{gwi:783828}}

Angel, that's one pretty flower, when you say 'strong', do you mean it's scent? Can you post your other one also?

Perhaps, between all our pictures, we can solve these mysteries. It sure would be great to see a gallery of all of these together in one spot (and rightly named)

I am thinking that the first photo that portrayed 'Port Wine' is the original M. Figo, correct?

Can't wait to see your new Port Wine open, Clare, isn't it open yet?? I'm dying to see it!

Just thought I'd remind all plant addicts that Fullerton Arboretum will be hosting their "Green Scene" plant sales again. I went last year and had a great time. So many great plants to be had.

Kasie

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.arboretum.fullerton.edu/clndr/clndr.asp

Here is a picture of my other figo that is only fragrant at certain times of the day, mostly when it's warm or at dusk, the other is fragrant most of the time.
{{gwi:785178}}

Shadow, it did open, but it fell apart before I could take a picture of it. I think there are two more about to open so I'll try to get a picture of those before they are gone. The petals are solid maroon inside and part yellow and part maroon on the outside.

Shadow, the blooms I have left are closed but there are faded petals of previous flowers left in the pot:

{{gwi:785180}}
{{gwi:785181}}

Are Michelias now renamed Magnolias, as in "Magnolia figo"?

Thanks Clare, now awaiting your expert opinion. Plain old 'Figo', or definately 'Port Wine'? Were the scents different, did you notice? (Next bloom, just stand there waiting with camera in hand and nose ready, will you?)

Do yours compare with either of Angels?

I'm getting crazy to tell these Michelias apart now. I take it there is no one good source?

If you follow the move to Magnolia, then this one does become Magnolia figo. One or two others have had completely new combinations coined for them, as changing their generic name to Magnolia and leaving the specific epithet the same creates a conflict with a magnolia that already has that species name.

Hi Shadow, I'm definitely no expert but thanks for the compliment. The blooms don't seem to open very far before the petals fall off. The inside petal color is definitley maroon, and the leaves are a lighter green than my other M. figos so I would say it is a real M. figo 'Port Wine,' but I think there are darker forms like the one pictured above. The fragrance seems to be less intense than my other M. figos.

Cistus nursery is a great source. I've not ordered from them before, but they have a good reputation. I got my M. figo 'Port Wine' from Forest Farm Nursery by mail order. I'm sure there are lots of other sources, depending upon where you are located. M. figo can usually be found in most nurseries. If you have any Chinese nurseries near you, M. x alba can usually be found there. M. champaca is also pretty common now in nurseries here.

{{gwi:785184}}

clare if you know about local chinese nursery selling M.FIGO PORTWINE , please let me know.

Hi Clare,
Thanks for your inputs. With the nomenclature confusion and mislabeling it's good to know your "Port Wine" turned out to be a "Port Wine". I'm intrigued by the color and will be getting one for myself this weekend from FF which is about half an hour from me. I have the regular Figo from San Gabriel Nursery which is thriving up here. Do they have about the same fragrance?

First Bloom! This is day 2 or 3, but it really does look darker than the photo.

Kalp, I don't know of a local Chinese nursery who sells M. figo 'Port Wine,' but I've only visited Temple Garden Center in El Monte, and I didn't check for M. figo's. I only went there to buy M. x alba.

Nomadic, I got mine from FF too. The fragrance is not as strong as the regular M. figo, and the flowers don't seem to open as wide or last as long either. It is a beautiful color though.

Shadowlover, yours is beautiful!

Thanks Clare, and I agree with you on size and scent. It's great to know I have a dependable nursery--the absolute best thing! Can't wait till he gets the Stubbs Purple in, or can I? Wonder how the fragrance rates?

Clare,

I would like to ask you a question. I have been looking for 'Port Wine' and cannot find it. I did buy one that was supposed to be it, but it is more or less the common variety. I really love your photo (solid wine colored). Do you know of a source, or can we trade for cuttings? I grow lots of Mediterranean climate plants. - Gil
bujanda@adelphia.net

Ask your local nursery to special order one from Monterey Bay Nursery. They say it seems to be not as fragrant as the regular species.

Here is a link that might be useful: Monterey Bay Nursery Michelia

Gil, my plant's flowers aren't as solid maroon as the picture that I posted from cfgphoto.com, but they are darker than most plant's flowers that claim to be "Port Wine." I got mine at Forest Farm nursery, and it is too small to cut, and I don't think these root easily from cuttings, but Forest Farm still has them for sale if you want to get one from them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Forest Farm Port Wine

I was very dissapointed with my M. figo this year. It was full of brown fuzzy buds, only a couple opened up and when they did open they did not have a fragrance to them at all. I checked for fragrance during the early morning and checked again during the evening and nothing. I googled the plant on the net and the flower seems the same except it doesnt have that reddish edge along the flower.

Makes me wonder if it really is a M.figo.

Sylvia

Hi,
Isn't it de-lovely, as Hepburn would say...
I LOVE my port wine magnolia. Mom in law has 2 huge pots on either side of her front porch and they are doing well.
I have to say I wanted mine to be free so I put it straight into the ground, much to her upset. Nonetheless the "little porra" as I call her has grown very well and blooms in thanks from earliest spring right through summer. I even caught her flushing a little mid autumn last year, but it was a mild winter..