RE: Magnolia grandiflora fragrance

Sean and Fran
Fragrance is a difficult thing to describe and seems to be highly personal,
doesn't it?  (A freesia has no odor to my nose!)  The best I can do is say
that the huge, 30+ year old Magnolia on our former neighbor's front lawn in
Orange County, which I believe was a grandiflora, smelled sweeter, heavier,
and stronger than the "Little Gem" in our back yard.  My husband, who went
to school in Atlanta, agrees that the "Little Gem" didn't smell as sweet as
the magnolias he remembers in the South.  
Nancy Mueller Townley
Fallbrook, CA

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-medit-plants@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-medit-
> plants@ucdavis.edu] On Behalf Of Sean A. O'Hara
> Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2003 2:05 PM
> To: medit-plants@ucdavis.edu; nmmueller@adelphia.net
> Subject: Re: Magnolia grandiflora fragrance
> 
> 
> >  Wed, 9 Apr 2003 15:00:31 -0400
> >From: "nmmueller" <nmmueller@adelphia.net>
> >
> >We want to plant one of the magnolia grandiflora cultivars that will
> bloom
> >at an earlier age, but that smells like a traditional magnolia.  At our
> >former residence we planted a "Little Gem" which bloomed as promised, but
> >disappointed us with its fragrance.  It smelled too much like a lemon and
> >not enough like a magnolia.  Does anyone have any recommendations?  Thank
> >you.
> >
> >Nancy Mueller Townley
> >Fallbrook, CA
> >Sunset Zone 23
> 
> Nancy -
> 
> I am curious what your consider a "traditional magnolia"?  I've personally
> always loved Magnolia grandiflora for it lemony fragrance.  There are so
> many different species of Magnolia - what fragrant species is your
> "traditional"?  And can you describe the smell?
> 
> Regards,
> Seán O.
> 
> h o r t u l u s   a p t u s     -    'a garden suited to its purpose'
> Seán A. O'Hara            fax (707) 667-1173         sean@support.net
> 1034A Virginia Street, Berkeley, California 94710-1853, U.S.A.
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