Magnolia figo (banana shrub, "Karataneogatama")

Japanese name: カラタネオガタマ （唐種小賀玉）
Scientific name: Magnolia figo

[Overview]
An evergreen shrub 2–5 m tall.
Dense short yellowish-brown hairs cover the young branches, buds, leaf stalks and so on.
The leaves are simple and alternate, oblong, 4–10 cm long and 1.8–4.5 cm wide, leathery and glossy on the upper surface, with entire margins.
The leaf stalk is 2–4 mm.
The flowers are borne singly in the leaf axils; they are cream-colored, sometimes tinged with red or purple, 6-petaled, 3–4 cm across, with a sweet, banana-like fragrance.
However, the flowers seem to be fragrant only when the tip of the bud has opened slightly, and once fully open they have almost no scent.
The flowers are short-lived, lasting only 1–2 days after opening, and the tepals then fall one by one.
The fruit is a follicle; when ripe it splits open and orange seeds show.

[History]
It was introduced to Japan in the early Meiji period.

[Uses]
The flowers are used medicinally.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, by layering, or from cuttings.
It is somewhat sensitive to cold, so protect it from frost, cold wind and strong wind.
It prefers sun to partial shade and fertile, well-drained, slightly moist soil.
It dislikes dryness and strong western sun.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries.
For plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a long spell of sunny weather and the soil dries out.
Apply organic fertilizer in winter, and also give fertilizer after flowering as thanks to the plant.
Scale insects can occur.

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