The ancient flowering plants known as magnolias offer a diverse palette of colors that extends far beyond the familiar white. While many people associate the trees with a single, creamy shade, the answer to what color a magnolia is depends entirely on the specific species or cultivated variety. The genus Magnolia is a large and varied group, meaning the color of the large, fragrant blossoms can span from the palest ivory to saturated hues of purple and gold.
The Classic Magnolia Palette
The most iconic colors of the magnolia flower are the pristine whites and soft pinks, which are generally the largest and most fragrant blooms. The Southern Magnolia, Magnolia grandiflora, is famous for its massive, cup-shaped flowers that open to a rich, creamy white or ivory color. These blooms, often reaching up to a foot across, are a quintessential part of the landscape in the southeastern United States.
Many deciduous varieties, such as the Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata) and the Kobus Magnolia (Magnolia kobus), also feature predominantly white or pale blush flowers. The popular hybrid Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia × soulangeana) frequently displays petals that are white on the inside but washed with a delicate pale pink on the exterior.
Expanding the Color Spectrum
Beyond the classic white and pale pink, the magnolia spectrum includes much deeper, more saturated colors like magenta, purple, and true yellow. Deep reddish-purple colors are found in species like the Lily Magnolia (Magnolia liliiflora) and its numerous hybrids, which contribute dark pigmentation to the well-known Saucer Magnolia varieties. Cultivars like ‘Nigra’ or ‘Alexandrina’ display striking, wine-colored blooms that can appear nearly purple or a deep red.
The development of yellow magnolias is a more recent horticultural achievement, tracing back to the native North American Cucumber Tree (Magnolia acuminata), which naturally produces yellowish-green flowers. Through selective breeding, hybridizers have created cultivars with colors ranging from soft buttery yellow, like ‘Elizabeth,’ to deep, vibrant canary yellow, such as ‘Butterflies.’
How Magnolias Get Their Color
The color found in a magnolia petal is determined by the presence and concentration of various plant pigments within the flower cells. The red, pink, and purple shades are primarily the result of a class of pigments called anthocyanins. Specifically, the compounds cyanidin and peonidin are responsible for generating the red-purple and true purple hues seen in the darker varieties.
The yellow coloration in magnolias is attributed to a different group of compounds known as carotenoids, the same pigments that color carrots and corn. The original yellow source, Magnolia acuminata, contains these pigments, which hybridizers have intensified to create the golden cultivars. White or cream flowers occur when the genetic instruction for producing these color pigments is either absent or present at very low concentrations.