Magnolia Lennei Alba (Magnolia × soulangeana 'Lennei Alba') is a beautiful white-flowered saucer magnolia. ‘Lennei Alba’ forms a spreading deciduous shrub or small tree, producing elegant creamy-white, cup-shaped flowers on the bare branches in spring. The blooms are lightly fragrant and may reach 8 cm across, creating a striking display before and as the fresh foliage emerges. An old European cultivar, it was raised by Froebel in Switzerland around 1905 and remains highly regarded for its refined white flowers.
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- Flowers: Creamy white, cup to goblet-shaped, to about 8 cm across; lightly fragrant; spring, generally September–October in southern Australia
- Size: To about 6 m high × 4–6 m wide at maturity depending on growing conditions
- Uses: Feature tree, cottage and informal gardens, courtyards and mixed borders
- Attributes: Hardy, deciduous and relatively slow to moderate growing; best in a sheltered position in full sun to part shade
- Growing conditions: Prefers moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil with an acid to neutral pH; flower buds and blooms can be damaged by late frost
- Features: Broad, spreading habit with ovate, dark green deciduous foliage; flowers appear before and with the emerging leaves
- Also known as: Saucer Magnolia ‘Lennei Alba’, White Lennei Magnolia
Keep your collection labelled. Add a durable engraved plant label to your order, and order extra labels for existing plants so every tree in your collection stays correctly named.
References incl:
Royal Horticultural Society. (2026). Magnolia × soulangeana ‘Lennei Alba’. RHS Gardening.
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. (n.d.). Magnolia × soulangeana ‘Lennei Alba’. HortFlora.
Image 1: Philippe de Spoelberch (accessed 4/8/2026).
Image 2: Philippe de Spoelberch (accessed 4/8/2026).
