1. This historic collection is found at the north end of the Arboretum. Many of the trees in this collection were planted in the 1960s during construction of the rail tunnel. The magnificent white blooms on the mature Kobus (Magnolia kobus), Star (M. stellata) and Saucer (M. × soulangiana) magnolia trees dominate in the spring.

2. There is a collection of Magnolia acuminata (Cucumber Tree) hybrids (e.g., ‘Elizabeth,’ ‘Yellow Bird’) and “Little Girl” hybrids (e.g., ‘Ann,’ ‘Susan’) located above the train tunnel and below the old windbreak. This collection can be seen from across Dow’s Lake. The Friends of the Farm supplied funds for the purchase of the first set of trees. All the magnolias in this collection are hardy and supposedly later-blooming to avoid frost damage to buds.

3. A small collection exists in a test garden at the Ornamental Gardens, beside the ‘Physic’ garden by the old Cereal Barn. Because this is a very protected site, the young magnolias have done extremely well. This collection contains a variety of cultivars from both known and unknown parentage – a mish-mash if you will.

4. A small collection is thriving on the east side of Birch Drive, north of the heritage buildings close to the NCC Driveway. A notable specimen of this collection is M. kobus ‘Wada’s Memory’. This tree form of Kobus Magnolia is borderline hardy in the Ottawa area, yet thrives in our collection. With its magnificent, large blooms, it’s a real show-stopper in the spring.

5. The tree form magnolia in the scented border of the Ornamental Gardens, just east of the Macoun Memorial Garden, is M. × loebneri 'Leonard Messel'. This specimen is absolutely fantastic with its stellata shaped and coloured flowers.

6. The Cucumber Tree (M. acuminata) on the main lawn is unique in size and age. It’s one of my favourite trees, one I point out whenever I get the chance. I learned from a forest pathologist, Dr. Richard Wilson, that the leaves of M. acuminata are an excellent barometer of low-level ozone and, thus, air pollution, although I can find no evidence to substantiate this claim.

Crispin Wood
Lead Hand, Arboretum, AAFC