What is the difference between the white magnolia (Magnolia denudata) and the purple magnolia (Magnolia liliiflora)?

Flowers & Gardening Jan 1, 1970 0 views

In fact, they are very easy to tell apart, because the former's flowers are white and the latter's flowers are purple, so you can distinguish them at a glance. But if they are not in bloom, we need to use other methods to tell them apart. By comparison, the former is slightly taller than the latter, its bark color is slightly lighter, and its leaves are rounder.

1. Flowers

From the name alone we can understand where their most important difference lies, and that is the different color of their flowers. The white magnolia is of course white, while the other one is naturally purple. This is a very simple way to identify them, so it can only be used when they are in flower; ordinarily we cannot use this method to know which one is called what.

2. Main trunk

In fact, the former is a tree, meaning it has a main trunk and grows relatively tall. The latter, however, is a shrub, its main trunk is not obvious, and it grows relatively short.

3. Bark

There is a fairly obvious difference between the bark of these two. Generally speaking, the former's color is not as dark as the latter's; the former's color is usually grayish white.

4. Leaf shape

Their leaf shapes also differ greatly. The former's leaves are long and round, with the widest part in the middle of the leaf, and the leaf stalk is also relatively long, about more than two centimeters, and it is generally obovate. The latter's is ovate, and its stalk is relatively sturdy.

5. Flower buds

Their flower bud colors are also different. The former is on the white side, while the latter is often green, and the former has more fuzz and larger buds.

6. Petals

This difference is also fairly obvious, because the former has nine petals, with the lower three being a modified form of the calyx, while the latter has no petals.

7. Fruit

The former's fruit is relatively large and relatively long, shaped like a cylinder, while the latter's is relatively small, short and round.