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Michelia alba, champaca and Cananga odorata
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Posted by jimn UK (My Page) on Sat, Apr 14, 07 at 16:47
| Hi all,
I would really like to aquire Michelia (Magnolia) champaca and M. x alba, plus Cananga odorata (ylang ylang).
I am in zone 9, Devon(UK)which has a very mild climate and M. Doltsopa, Dianica and Figo grow vigorously in my garden. What would be a minimum temperature for the champaca/alba and Cananga plants? I have a heated greenhouse for winter just in case. I'm wondering how viable they would be in pots?
I have not been able to find a reliable source in the UK for the more tender Michelias and the Cananga so this remains a 'wish list'.
Incidentally - how would the combined fragrances of all three be like together? I have not experienced any of them, but I am intrigued and going by recommendation from this and many other forums on which they are often mentioned.
Jim |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Michelia alba, champaca and Cananga odorata
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- Posted by jimshy z7 Brooklyn, NY (My Page) on
Fri, May 11, 07 at 11:18
| Jim, Others with more experience can chime in, but I'm pretty sure these are all true tropicals; they need temps to be in the 50s or above. My michelia champaca gets leaf burn and damage when nights get into the 40s, and root rot is a real issue at those temps as well. Technically, all can be grown in big pots -- I'm guessing the alba would be the easiest, the cananga the hardest, as it gets big and needs to be at least (6-8ft?) tall before blooming. The other issue is how to give them enough light, especially in winter, even in a greenhouse environment. I'd say your best bet is trying to contact Kew or the RHS or another big botanical garden to see if they grow any of these, and if so, where they got 'em. Have no idea about the combined fragrance, I'm still waiting for my first champaca bloom! Dianica is outstanding, IMHO. Good luck! JimShy |
RE: Michelia alba, champaca and Cananga odorata
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- Posted by jimn UK (My Page) on
Mon, May 14, 07 at 19:10
| Thanks very much for the response, No luck with finding a source for the tender michelias (now magnolias)for me, but I am lucky in having M. doltsopa and M. doltsopa 'Silver Cloud', m. dianica, and M. figo. I have just discovered that a nearby (massive) planting has the Cananga odorata- the Eden Project in Cornwall. I would recommend any visitor to the UK from overseas investigating this unique garden. Jim |
RE: Michelia alba, champaca and Cananga odorata
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| Can someone who has both (M. champaca and C. odorata) tell me which one has nicer smell? Subjectively of course. |
RE: Michelia alba, champaca and Cananga odorata
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| I have both M. Alba and Ylang ylang. I have to say I prefer M. Alba much more, but it's a scent that I grew up with in Asia. On the hardiness issue. Mine are planted outdoors with no prob. The M. Alba is a taller than I am now, and I grew it from something that was 4 ft tall. YY is still pretty small. Have you tried looking in asian markets in the UK? Here in the US, chinese markets are places where you can reliably get M. Alba for sure. YY is a little harder. Good luck. _A |
RE: Michelia alba, champaca and Cananga odorata
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| I agree with grow_power. The M. alba is more fragrant than the C. odorata. While both trees have powerful fragrances that can reach large distances, it is the sweet, tropical, fruity, banana-apple like scent of the michelia alba that I'm addicted to. If you prefer a more 'feminine' fragrance however, the Cananga odorata's sweet and refreshing citrus fragrance with tamarind overtones will be a better choice. It grows into a very large tree in tropical climates and its fragrance is strongest just after sunset. tropical |
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