Cambell’s Magnolia

or Magnolia campbellii as it is called in the record books is a tree found mostly in the sheltered valleys in the Himalaya region and was was named for Archibald Campbell by the botanist Sir Joseph Hooker. Campbell was a Scots born doctor of the Bengal medical establishment in the 1840-60’s where he rose to the post of Superintendent.

The tree has a spectacular display of large, pink in this case, flowers some 15-25cm in diameter. The tree in the Botanics at Inverleith is some 10-20m tall and the display is only on for a couple of weeks only and is dependent on late frosts, wind and rain so I had to see it when it was available given the ongoing unprodictable the weather has been.