Magnolia kobus 5 seeds

The Beaver Tree or Tulip Tree

We use the name Beaver tree or Magnolia for a genus of evergreen or deciduous trees and shrubs that are known for their beautiful, large flowers.

In the Netherlands, the Beaver Tree is often mistakenly called Tulip Tree, but that is factually incorrect. The Tulip trees are of the genus Liriodendron. Originally, the Magnolias come from China, Japan and North America.

The Magnolias belong to the oldest family of flowering plants whose fossils have been found to be almost a hundred million years old. The dinosaurs have seen Magnolias bloom. Because there were no bees, butterflies and moths at that time, the Magnolia specialized in fertilization by beetles. The shape of the flowers is therefore different from that of more recent species. The antiquity of the Magnolias already indicates that they are strong plants, which can easily adapt to changing conditions.