Curator’s Corner – Magnolia sharpii
During the summer visitors will be able to find Sharp’s Magnolia blooming in the Mesoamerican Cloud Forest.
Profile
Scientific name: Magnolia sharpii
Family: Magnoliaceae
Environment: Part shade to part sun and has normal to moist watering needs
Bloom: Large flower with tepals that range in color from creamy white to pale yellow
Plant type: Evergreen tree
Uses: Ornamental
Location: San Francisco Botanical Garden — Mesoamerican Cloud Forest, 25A
This species is listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List as endangered with a decreasing population.
San Francisco Botanical Garden is famous for its expansive collection of magnolias. The best time to experience magnolia blossoms in San Francisco is between January and March, and the Botanical Garden welcomes thousands of visitors during these months who come specifically for the Garden’s “Magnificent Magnolias.” If you did not have a chance to enjoy the Botanical Garden during this year’s peak magnolia season, have no fear. There are actually some species of magnolia at the Gardens that bloom during the summer months, and Magnolia sharpii is one of them!
During the summer visitors will be able to find Magnolia sharpii blooming in the Mesoamerican Cloud Forest. This collection was established at the Botanical Garden in the early 1980s and the Magnolia sharpii, grown from seed collected in Chiapas, Mexico, currently seen in the collection was part of that foundational planting. In addition to its significance in the collection, Magnolia sharpii is an eye-catching ornamental addition to the garden. Its tepals, like many magnolia species, are large and distinct, and range in color from soft creamy white to pale yellow.
Sharp’s Magnolia (Magnolia sharpii)
The Gardens of Golden Gate Park is committed to conservation, with numerous threatened plant species growing and thriving within its living collection, including Magnolia sharpii. This species is listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List as endangered with a decreasing population. Magnolia sharpii is endemic to Chiapas, Mexico in highland cloud forests, but agricultural clearing has degraded and deforested much of its native habitat. Threats to magnolias around the world, like Magnolia sharpii, are the reason why the Gardens of Golden Gate Park is an active member of the Global Conservation Consortium for Magnolias (GCC). Through the GCC, the Gardens of Golden Gate Park works with partner organizations on initiatives to conserve magnolias as nearly half of known magnolia species face some kind of threat in the wild.
When you walk through the Mesoamerican Cloud Forest at San Francisco Botanical Garden and spot Magnolia sharpii in bloom, you are not only seeing its beautiful flowers; you are seeing conservation efforts in action!
Text by Ethan Rappeport, photos by Victoria Stewart
