Magnificent Magnolias

Experience one of the most significant conservation collections of Magnolias in the United States in bloom January through March. 

Admire the sights and scents on the branches of more than 200 elegant trees, as velvety silver buds and saucer-sized pink, white, and magenta flowers make an appearance in this always spectacular annual bloom at the Garden.

🌸 Bloom Update🌸

Magnificent Magnolias are now just past peak bloom, but the late bloomers are coming on strong and will carry the season through March. Please make time to get out and enjoy this next and final wave of flowering!

Enjoy associated programming and stay tuned to our social media channels for the latest bloom updates!

Discover all of our magnolias using our Magnolia Map for a self-guided walk:

玉蘭地圖

Mapa de Magnolia

Mapa ng Magnolia

Children’s Magnolia Map

Magnolia Map 2025

Endemic to Asia and the New World, Magnolias are ancient flowering trees that have endeared themselves to humans for millennia. Here in mild San Francisco, we cultivate species from across most of their range, from the monsoon-influenced, temperate forests of the Himalayas to the cloud forests of Mesoamerica.

In the winter of 1940, horticultural history was made at the newly-opened San Francisco Botanical Garden when its exotic cup and saucer magnolia (Magnolia campbellii) became the first of its kind to bloom in the United States. Huge crowds of excited and curious visitors stood in long lines to see the stunning, large, pink blossoms of this famous Magnolia that still stands in the Garden today.

That was just the beginning. The Garden is now home to more than 200 Magnolias— many rare and historic. The Garden’s current collection includes 63 species and 49 cultivars.

Associated Programming

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