Magnolia sieboldii

Siebold's magnolia
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Magnoliids
Order:	Magnoliales
Family:	Magnoliaceae
Genus:	Magnolia
Subgenus:	Magnolia subg. Magnolia
Section:	Magnolia sect. Rhytidospermum
Subsection:	Magnolia subsect. Oyama
Species:	M. sieboldii
Binomial name
	Magnolia sieboldii; K.Koch
Synonyms
	Magnolia oyama Kort; Magnolia parviflora Siebold & Zucc. nom. illeg.; Magnolia sinensis (Rehder & E.H.Wilson) Stapf; Magnolia verecunda Koidz.; Oyama sieboldii (K.Koch) N.H.Xia & C.Y.Wu; Oyama sinensis (Rehder & E.H.Wilson) N.H.Xia & C.Y.Wu;

Magnolia sieboldii, or Siebold's magnolia, also known as Korean mountain magnolia^[3] and Oyama magnolia,^[4] is a species of Magnolia native to east Asia in China, Japan, and Korea. It is named after the German doctor Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796–1866).

Description

Magnolia sieboldii is a large deciduous shrub or small tree 5–10 m (16–33 ft) tall. The stalks, young leaves, young twigs and young buds are downy. The leaves are elliptical to ovate-oblong, 9–16 cm (rarely 25 cm) long and 4–10 cm (rarely 12 cm) broad, with a 1.5–4.5 cm petiole.

The flowers, unlike the spring flowering magnolias, open primarily in the early summer, but continue intermittently until late summer. They are pendulous, cup-shaped, 7–10 cm diameter, and have 6–12 tepals, the outer three smaller, the rest larger, and pure white; the carpels are greenish and the stamens reddish-purple or greenish-white.

Taxonomy

It was described by Karl Koch in 1853.^[5]

Subspecies

There are three subspecies:^[5]

Magnolia sieboldii subsp. japonica K.Ueda from Japan Low shrub; flowers with 6 tepals and greenish-white stamens.^{[citation needed]}
Magnolia sieboldii subsp. sieboldii Japan, Korea, eastern China. Tree or large shrub; flowers with 9-12 tepals and reddish-purple stamens; leaves smaller, rarely over 16 cm.^{[citation needed]}
Magnolia sieboldii subsp. sinensis (Rehder & E.H.Wilson) Spongberg Southwestern China (Sichuan); flowers as subsp. sieboldii; leaves larger, commonly to 22 cm.^{[citation needed]}

Flower bud
Flower, male phase
Flower
Flower detail
Immature fruit
Nearly mature fruit

Cultivation

Magnolia sieboldii is grown as an ornamental tree in gardens. It is one of the hardiest magnolias, successful in cultivation as far north as Arboretum Mustila in Finland. The cultivar 'Colossus' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.^[6]

Called mongnan or mokran (목란/木蘭), Siebold's magnolia is the national flower of North Korea.^[7]

References

↑ Khela, S. (2014). "Magnolia sieboldii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014 e.T194003A2293976. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T194003A2293976.en. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
↑ The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species, retrieved 28 January 2017
↑ English Names for Korean Native Plants (PDF). Pocheon: Korea National Arboretum. 2015. p. 532. ISBN 978-89-97450-98-5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2016 – via Korea Forest Service.
↑ "Magnolia sieboldii (Oyama Magnolia) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
1 2 Magnolia sieboldii K.Koch. (n.d.). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 23 July 2025, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:554840-1
↑ "Magnolia sieboldii 'Colossus' AGM". Royal Horticultural Society. 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
↑ Lim, Reuben C. J. (29 June 2013). "Floral Emblems of the world". anbg.gov.au. Australian National Herbarium. Retrieved 9 September 2016.

Hunt, D. (ed). (1998). Magnolias and their allies. International Dendrology Society and Magnolia Society. ISBN 0-9517234-8-0
Flora of China: Magnoliaceae (draft account)

External links

Hong, Kyong-sik (1992). Magnolia Sieboldii: Korea's National Flower (PDF). Pyongyang: Foreign Languages Publishing House. OCLC 52473426.
Friedman, William (Ned). "Oyama magnolia in full bloom." Posts from the Collections, Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University website, 12 June 2016. Accessed 1 October 2019.
Magnolia sieboldii images at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Plant Image Database.

[IUCN-1] Khela, S. (2014). "Magnolia sieboldii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014 e.T194003A2293976. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T194003A2293976.en. Retrieved 12 May 2025.

[2] The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species, retrieved 28 January 2017

[3] English Names for Korean Native Plants (PDF). Pocheon: Korea National Arboretum. 2015. p. 532. ISBN 978-89-97450-98-5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2016 – via Korea Forest Service.

[4] "Magnolia sieboldii (Oyama Magnolia) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 25 March 2022.

[POWO-5] 1 2 Magnolia sieboldii K.Koch. (n.d.). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 23 July 2025, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:554840-1

[6] "Magnolia sieboldii 'Colossus' AGM". Royal Horticultural Society. 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.

[7] Lim, Reuben C. J. (29 June 2013). "Floral Emblems of the world". anbg.gov.au. Australian National Herbarium. Retrieved 9 September 2016.

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v t e National symbols of North Korea
Constitutional	Flag Emblem Anthem Pyongyang (capital)
Other	Magnolia sieboldii (flower) Oriental magpie (bird) Pine (tree) Pungsan (dog) Kimchi (dish) Choson-ot (dress) Ssirum (sport) Juche Tower and Mangyongdae (monuments) Juche calendar Foundation Day Cho Ki-chon (poet) Qianlima Korean language Munhwaŏ North Korean won (currency)