Check identification. It's true that some specimens, including mine (unfortunately) do not produce flowers of desired redness, but yours looks to have a white ground color, different flower shape. http://images.google.com/images?um=...=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=magnolia vulcan
What each specimen looks like is primarily what is pertinent to its identification being resolved, except where a record search might provide hints as to how the wrong names got on them. My 'Vulcan' is grafted, possibly one or both of these is even an unnamed seedling that replaced 'Vulcan' grafted onto them.
The problem at times with the Google images is that it requires us to know what the particular flower is supposed to look like. Sometimes we have to know what the parents of the hybrid look like as well and we can see both in the Duncan & Davies photo that shows the Lanarth parentage in the center of the flower and the truer basic color for this Magnolia. From the Vulcan I've seen from the first imports to come into the US it is not out of bounds for the young trees to have color as depicted in these photos with reservation in the interior color of the tepals.. As the trees age they should get better color and some of the hybrid mollicomata forms can indeed look like the photo on the right. I like the fact that in both photos it was later told where the plants are located. I'd like to see more of that as we sometimes incorrectly assume the photos are of the same plant owned by the person that posted the photos. If the plants are not ours we should make that designation as a courtesy. It is not a surprise to me that the photos of this particular Magnolia appear shaded in the tepal considering where the photos came from. Vulcan takes a while to achieve its truer colors anyway and the typical color can change on us from year to year depending on our climate and culture. Jim
Paler-than-usual examples of 'Vulcan' - such as shown in Google photos linked to - still have a more even, different style of pigmentation. Two specimens in question are of the white base color, flushed or stained purple type rather than a solid base color that is partly faded or bleached-looking. Google pictures also show different flower shape of 'Vulcan'. My specimen is now perhaps 20' tall and has never had red flowers, yet they have been ~uniformly colored and of the same shape as shown by Google. A 'Spectrum' at the Seattle arboretum did bloom medium or even light pink (instead of reddish purple) for some years and was removed. Leaf and flower shape were correct for this cultivar, however, appearing to show that it was, in fact a true-to-name plant not behaving true-to-type.
I am not thrilled with the white shading on the outside of the tepal but I have seen it before on a few young plants. What is not right is the interior tepal color for it to be Vulcan. I am not criticizing you and wouldn't anyway for posting the link to the Google photos but I can argue that many Magnolias in that host site are touted as being a specific name that they are not, even from RHS affiliate nurseries. I think we need to specify which photo is closer to being right and as for the D&D photo, this is the nursery that the original plants for Vulcan were imported from into the US. These plants did not come in directly into various arboretums and botanical gardens either, the Jury hybrid plants came to very select nurseries first with a substantial dollar amount order minimum for all of the plants imported in. The D&D color catalog first showed a whole lot richer colored flower than the online photo shows I might add, which caused a few people to check around in New Zealand and in one location in Europe in particular, asking the question, is the flower a rose-red and later we found that it is not from the plants that came here after waiting a few years for them to bloom, as none of the original plants came in in bud. A digital photo taken even a few minutes apart can make the plant appear darker or lighter in color which can give the false impression that the outside of the tepal is shaded when it may not be. I had that happen with some photos I've taken of our Black Tulip. Jim
Vulcan(?) http://www.rhs.org.uk/learning/publications/plantsman/0305/Magnolias.pdf http://www.rhodogroup-rhs.org/Services/News/newsmagapr2003.htm
Below is the link to the Duncan & Davies web site showing the color of their Vulcan. Two things we have to take note of that Vulcan was not available for import when Star Wars, Iolanthe, Athene and Apollo first came in. The other is that Duncan & Davies initially had exclusive rights to sell Vulcan wholesale. We all got our Vulcan directly or indirectly from them in some way. Magnolias: spectacular flowering trees, shrubs - hybrids, new releases Red or is it, or are we hoping we are seeing red? Two photos taken on March 5, 2007 shows how the same Magnolia can appear slightly different in color in a matter of seconds. Bird 2 is in the background. The misses owns Bird 1, both are "hybirds" (hybrids) as we affectionately call our fleet. Jim
My plant is from Fairweather. It had paler blooms the first few years. Here are the flower buds 4/07.
Hello People, I am very interested in getting a Magnolia planted in my front garden and I think I have narrowed my decision down to between the vulcan and dedunata - forrest's pink. I went to a public garden that had a 10 year old vulcan and also it had Forrest's pink. The flowers on forrest's pink were stunning, unfortunately the vulcan wasn't flowering. I have seen photos of the vulcan flowers and they do look spectacular however. The one thing I didn't really like was the shape of the vulcan tree compared to forrest's pink. This vulcan was very narrow, one main trunk and the branches coming off the trunk were almost vertical also. Forrest's pink and also the starwars magnolia tree there were a really nice roundy shape. I am wondering if this is the standard shape for vulcans or if this was just a bad specimen? I have tried to find photos on the internet of vulcan trees but can't find any except of baby trees, all the photos are just of flowers. If anyone can give me information on what their trees look like and possibly some photos that would be really appreciated! Thanks in advance
'Forrest's Pink' has one or two noteworty features but produces same general impression as some saucer magnolias. It also resembles the Sprenger magnolia, if trying to get the appearance of that species a more thrilling color form such as the famous 'Diva' would seem to be a better choice. 'Vulcan' is a facsimile of the amazing and unique 'Lanarth' Campbell magnolia, with flowers sometimes almost as striking on a shrubbier tree that blooms young. (Actually the tendency of 'Vulcan' to appear red could be seen as making its flowers MORE arresting than those of 'Lanarth', which are "cyclamen purple" when showing characteristic pigmentation).
Kilack, My Vulcan is somewhat broad and shrubby. I once saw an older plant and it was also shrubby maybe even rangy. But it was loaded with those great looking colorful buds. You might ask about Vulcan size and shape over here. Magnolia heavies haunt this group. http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/magnolia/ gil
