A selection of the Magnolia species and cultivars are in full flower at RBGE. These magnificent trees are at their best when the sun shines and the air is still. Overnight frost combined with early sun and gales are the weather conditions that bring these showy flowers to an early and untimely end. Best grown in sheltered deciduous open woodland but through the Edinburgh suburbs many fine specimens are planted in open situations and are equally as vigorous in growth and prolific in flower. A walk through the copse will reveal many fine specimens from western and central China thriving in our climate. The attached image is of M. sprengeri var. elongata, a variety with larger tepals than the species.