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Magnolia officinalis

Common name:	Hou Po	Family:	Magnoliaceae
Author:	Rehder.& E.H.Wilson.	Botanical references:	11, 200, 266
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - W. China.
Habitat:	Alpine and hilly areas[147]. Forests at elevations of 300 - 1500 metres[266].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	3

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	M. hypoleuca[H]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Ch'Uan Pu [E], Chinese Magnolia [E], Choon Pok [E], Magnolia [E], Magnolier Officinal [E], Nd [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	officinalis = sold as an herb
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Magnoliales. Magnolia family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Britain China France Spain

Physical Characteristics

A decidious tree growing to 20m by 12m . It is hardy to zone 8. It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Beetles. We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 3/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Canopy, Secondary.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antibacterial Antiseptic Antispasmodic Aphrodisiac Appetizer Digestive Diuretic Emmenagogue Expectorant Ophthalmic Stomachic Tonic.

Hou Po has been used in Chinese herbal medicine for at least 2,000 years. The aromatic, pungent and warming bark is used in the treatment of various disorders of the digestive system[254].
Ophthalmic[46, 61, 109, 174].
The flowers are an aromatic digestive tonic[238]. A decoction of the flower buds is an esteemed emmenagogue in China, their use is therefore contraindicated for pregnant women[218]. The flowers are used in the treatment of abdominal distension, shortness of breath etc[176, 238]. They are harvested in the summer and can be used fresh or dried[238].
The stem bark is antiseptic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, appetizer, diuretic, expectorant, hypotensive, stomachic and tonic[46, 61, 109, 147, 174, 176, 218]. The bark is used internally in the treatment of abdominal distension, loss of appetite, gastro-enteritis, vomiting, diarrhoea, asthma and coughs with acute phlegm[147, 174, 176, 218, 238]. The bark is harvested in the autumn and dried for later use[238]. It does not store well so stocks should be renewed annually[238].
The plant is digestive and stomachic[218].
Extracts of the plant contain bactericidal compounds and an essential oil, they are effective against salmonella[218].

We have a more details factsheet on the history and medicinal use of this plant. Email webmaster@pfaf.org for details.

Other Uses

Wood.

Wood - fine grained. It is said to be a useful wood.

Cultivation details

Best grown in a warm position in a moderately rich free soil of an open texture[1]. The branches are brittle so a sheltered position is required[200]. Very tolerant of atmospheric pollution[200].
Hardy to about -10° c[200].
The fleshy roots are easily damaged and any transplanting is best done during a spell of mild moist weather in late spring[182].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed must be kept cold over the winter and should be sown in late winter in a cold frame[200]. The seed usually germinates in the spring but it can take 18 months. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse for at least their first winter. They can be planted out into their permanent positions when they are more than 15cm tall, though should be well mulched and given some protection from winter cold for their first winter or two outdoors.
Layering in early spring[200].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[PHARM] Phytochemical Data (common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Magnoliaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[109] Wilson. E. H. Plantae Wilsonae.
Details of the palnts collected by the plant collector E. H. Wilson on his travels in China. Gives some habitats. Not for the casual reader.

[147] ? A Barefoot Doctors Manual. Running Press ISBN 0-914294-92-X
A very readable herbal from China, combining some modern methods with traditional chinese methods.

[174] Kariyone. T. Atlas of Medicinal Plants.
A good Japanese herbal.

[176] Yeung. Him-Che. Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas. Institute of Chinese Medicine, Los Angeles 1985
A very good Chinese herbal.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.

[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

Magnolia officinalis

Robert Whitman () Sun Oct 20 00:40:18 2002

I have planted this tree in Kansas City (Zone 5) and has survived 2 winters, one was a brutal one. It is my most beautiful tree. It is 10' tall and growing very well. Time will tell if it is 100% hardy for me, but no damage so far!

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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