Magnolia kobus

Japanese name: コブシ （辛夷）
Scientific name: Magnolia kobus

[Overview]
A deciduous tree growing 15 m or more tall, with a trunk diameter of 50 cm or more, found mostly in fertile, moist places such as along valleys.
Breaking a new twig releases a fragrance.
The winter buds are covered with soft hairs; the flower buds are several times larger than the leaf buds and are covered with long, silvery white soft hairs.
The leaves are simple and alternate, obovate, 6–15 cm long and 3–6 cm wide, narrowing to a wedge-shaped base, with a shortly protruding, pointed tip.
The upper surface is sunken and wrinkled along the veins, and there are a few hairs on the veins of the underside.
The leaf margins are entire and slightly wavy.
The leaves taste pungent when chewed.
The leaf stalk is 1–1.5 cm.
A stipule scar encircles the branch at the base of the leaf stalk.
The leaves turn yellow in autumn.
The flowers bloom before the leaves emerge.
The flowers are white, 6-petaled, about 7–10 cm across, and fragrant.
A distinctive feature is that a single leaf is borne at the base of the flower.
The fruit is a follicle, an irregular oblong 7–10 cm long; it splits open when ripe, and red seeds hang from white threadlike tissue.

[History]
Like Yama-zakura, its flowering was taken as a sign to begin farm work, and it has other names such as Tauchi-zakura, Tanemaki-zakura and Taue-zakura.

[Uses]
The buds are called shin'i (辛夷) and used as a crude drug.
The wood is used for furniture and crafted items.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by grafting.
Plants grown from seed can take 10 years or more to flower.
It prefers sunny, well-drained, fertile sites with deep soil.
It grows large, so it needs sufficient space.
It is sensitive to sea wind and air pollution.
Transplanting mature trees is difficult.
Pests and diseases are relatively few, but scale insects and longhorn beetles can occur.

View this page in Japanese (日本語)