Inside a spectacular collection of magnolias on the wild Cornish coast

Making a pilgrimage to Caerhays Gardens in early spring to see the magnolias should be on every gardener’s bucket list. From mid-February through to early summer, magnolias cascade one after another into spectacular bloom and, if the timing is right (usually early to mid March), you can see hundreds of trees flowering at once. Situated in a verdant valley above Porthluney Cove on the south Cornish coast, the gardens span some 140 acres of wooded hillside above an extraordinary neo-gothic castle designed by John Nash. The extravagant project sent its owners, the Trevanions, into bankruptcy, paving the way for the Williams family to buy the property in 1854. Today the estate is owned by Charles Williams and it was his great grandfather, John Charles Williams (known as JC), who started the magnolia collection in the early 20th century.

JC Williams was an obsessive collector of plants, cutting his teeth by breeding daffodils, then moving on to rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias. In 1902, he bought 25 camellias from Veitch nurseries, piquing his interest in the new and exciting plants that were being sent back from the East by plant hunters such as Ernest Wilson and George Forrest. Heart and imagination captured by these exotic treasures, JC became one of the chief sponsors of George’s botanical trips and the two men became friends.

The result was a wonderful cache of new plants for the garden at Caerhays, including recently introduced rhododendrons, camellias and, of course, magnolias. Hundreds of seeds were sent back from far-flung corners of China and the Himalayas, accompanied by letters from George meticulously recording his discoveries. Planted in the first decades of the 20th century, species such as Magnolia campbellii, M. sprengeri and M. sargentiana var. robusta thrived in the mild, maritime climate and the rich acidic soil here. Today, many of these original magnolia species still survive in the garden as spectacular large trees. These include some of George’s introductions, such as M. doltsopa and M. campbellii subsp. mollicomata, as well as M. campbellii Alba Group.

Alongside these venerable historic specimens stand younger trees that have been nurtured by successive generations of the Williams family, including a handful of well-known magnolia hybrids raised at Caerhays. Among these are ‘Kew’s Surprise’ and ‘Caerhays Surprise’– widely regarded as one of the best magnolias for a small garden. ‘Breeding magnolias is not easy,’ says Charles. ‘Each year, we hand-pollinate about 25 hybrids and hope the seed will set. The seed has to germinate, which can be haphazard, then it’s at least 10 years before that plant will flower. It’s a long process; often its first flowers aren’t as good as the original plant and nature has beaten you to it.’

The Caerhays magnolia collection is now the largest of four UK National Collections, with more than 100 species, around 690 named cultivars and many more unnamed seedlings. New cultivars are sourced each year from breeders all over the world and planted out under the care of head gardener Jaimie Parsons, who has worked at Caerhays for over 25 years. New Zealand breeder Mark Jury has produced some outstanding recent hybrids, including ‘Black Tulip’, ‘Felix Jury’ and ‘Apollo’, all of which can be found at Caerhays. Yellow magnolias derived from the North American species M. acuminata are also part of the collection here, although these flower later than most of the Asian species, as do the other American magnolias, such as M. grandiflora.

As you explore the collection and fall in love with different varieties of magnolia, it is wise to be aware of the growing conditions that these trees need before you get carried away with desire. Most of the Asian tree magnolias need a humus-rich, slightly acidic soil to do well, so if you are on a very alkaline or chalky soil, your choice will be restricted. A safer bet would be either easy-to-grow M. x soulangeana, which forms a small, floriferous tree, or the diminutive M. stellata, both of which will tolerate neutral or even slightly alkaline soils.

Wandering around among the magnolias in the collection here is a breathtaking experience, but quite aside from the visual impact of the flowering trees, there is the knowledge that each one has a story behind it. Looking up into the pure white flowers of a huge Magnolia campbellii Alba Group, you can imagine the exploits of George Forrest as he trekked through China searching for seed. These layers of history have been preserved and recorded by different generations of the Williams family in their precious Garden Diary since 1897, and today Charles Williams continues the tradition by noting his observations on the Caerhays website. It is fascinating to see what was happening in the garden on specific dates in 2022, 1958 and 1905, and this tangible sense of connection to the past is what makes Caerhays so special.

Caerhays Gardens, Gorran, St Austell, Cornwall, are open from February 13 to June 11. Book online at visit.caerhays.co.uk