Where to see Magnolia Blossom in London

Spring is just about to burst out people! How good is that? I feel like with spring on the horizon, and Covid cases dropping that things might start feeling a little better here in London. One thing I am certain of is that London in Spring is a sea of Cherry Blossom and Magnolia. For a few weeks, the city turns pink before the petals rain down on the streets signalling warmer days ahead. Aside from parks and gardens, here are some of my favourite places to see Magnolia blossom in London.

The season when Magnolia Blossoms in London is spectacular but short. Enjoy it while it lasts. Magnolia trees tend to flower earlier than evergreens and only bloom for a few weeks in spring. Magnolia flower show lasts just a week or two, but it’s particularly picturesque, as magnolia blossom often appears before the trees leaf out in spring.

This is a second article on my blog covering this topic. You can find my first article about magnolia blossom in London here. In this article, I will list precise locations of magnolia trees in London so you can easily walk between each blooming street in the most efficient way. Visiting all of them will take you a couple of days, not including the time you spend appreciating the blossom! So why not take a couple of days off, and go for a long stroll around London and get your refill of flowers before they disappear until next year.

The trees tend to be in flower between March and May, depending on the weather. Although, some Magnolia trees flower twice a year with a second, slightly less spectacular bloom in the summertime.

Where to see Magnolia trees in London – with an interactive map

Magnolias are possibly the most spectacular blossoms in London, but as pretty as they are, they only last a couple of weeks. They get easily damaged by wind and cold spells, which are common at this time of the year, so try and catch them as soon as they are out. There’s a big concentration of big magnolias in West London, so here are the most instagrammable locations.

Please note that pins on this map point to streets and parks where magnolia trees are located but not to the precise location.

Magnolia Blossom In The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Notting Hill (extended list of Magnolia locations):

– Lancaster Road
– Elgin Crescent
– Colville Gardens
– Westbourne Grove
– Denbigh Rd
– Portobello Rd
– Landsdowne Road
– Pembridge Square
– Sunderland Terrace
– Hillgate Street

Holland Park and its surroundings:

– Oakwood Court
– Portland Road
– Holland Park Ave (near Holland Park tube station)
– Addison Avenue

Chelsea:

– Ropers Gardens
– Bramerton Street
– Mallord Street
– Gilston Road
– The Boltons
– The Little Boltons
– Harcourt Terrace
– Redcliffe Gardens
– St. Leonard’s Terrace - 18 St Leonard's Terrace, Chelsea, London, SW3 4QG (Bram Stoker's house)
– Sloan Square

Kensington:

– Hornton Street
– Phillimore Gardens
– Earls Court Gardens
– Albert Place
– Hyde Park & Kensington Gardens
– Exhibition Street
– Chesson Road
– Victoria Road
– Launceston Place
– Eldon Road
– Campden Hill Road
– Argyll Road
– Upper Phillimore Gardens
– Kensington High Street

Magnolia trees at Hyde Park

Hyde Park’s disappointingly lacking in magnolia blossom, but its westerly sibling Kensington Gardens steps up to the mark. Enter via the Lancaster Gate entrance to be greeted by an explosion of pink and white petals.

Magnolia Blossom In London Borough of Lambeth

– Kennington Park Road
– Kennington Park
– Lambeth Place Garden
– Kennington Road

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Magnolia Blossom in Wandsworth (Battersea Park)

– Battersea Park - inside the Sub Tropical Garden

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Magnolia Blossom In Regent’s Park and its surroundings

Regent’s Park is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies high ground in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the Borough of Camden hence why I am not referring to a borough in this case.

– Brunswick place leading to York Terrace East
– Regent’s Park
– York Terrace
– Glentworth Street

Magnolia Blossom In The City of London

– St. Olave Hart Street
– Chancery Street

– Exchange Square (park)

– St. Mary Aldermanbury Garden / Love Lane

– St James Garlickhythe - Garlick Hill - corner of Skinners Lane EC4

Magnolia Blossom In Holborn

– Gray's Inn Gardens

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Magnolia Blossom In The City of Westminster

– St. Mary Le Strand
– St. Pauls Cathedral
– St. James’s Church, Piccadilly

St Mary Le Strand church

Found just outside King’s College London, you’ll find the exceptionally preserved St Mary Le Strand, a stunning 18th-century neo-baroque church that survived WWII. What makes it even more impressive, though, are the two giant blooming beautiful magnolia trees surrounding it. Go early on a Sunday morning to get the best shot and if you can visit when it’s cloudy – otherwise you won’t see a petal insight; the sun can be blinding.

You can see Magnolia through the week but if you want to get close come on Sunday near 11 o’clock when the church is open to the public and you will be able to get into the church garden.

St James’s Church, Piccadilly

St James’s is a parish church in London’s West End. The building is a Christopher Wren design, consecrated in 1684. It has a small park but the true jewel of this location is an old magnolia tree.

Magnolia at Canary Wharf

– Harbour Quay Gardens

Magnolia Blossom In The Royal Borough of Greenwich

Home of the Cutty Sark, the Meridian Line, National Maritime Museum and the absolutely stunning Painted Hall, Greenwich has its fair share of top-notch tourist attractions. For those firmly after blossom, the park is where the magnolia trees are best. The further in and the higher you go, the more beautiful they get, especially by the Royal Observatory. Time your visit just right and you’ll even see a load of magnificent cherry blossoms too.

Magnolia Blossom at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Surrey

If you want to see the best of London’s magnolia offering, dash for Kew. Their selection of trees is unrivalled and span species from all over the world, including those from the bloom’s native homes of North America and South-East Asia. The best part is that there’s also a chance to learn about the instagrammable trees from on-site botanists.

– Inside the Kew Gardens

– In the area around the gardens (too many spots to mention)

Magnolia Blossom in other London Parks

Kenwood House in Hampstead, London is a great place for Magnolia spotting. the

The Forty Hall has a walled garden bursting with magnolia and cherry blossom. It is featuring a beautiful magnolia Grandiflora planted in 1852.

It does not matter what part of London you visit to photograph magnolias they are literally all over London and the UK. The key is just to watch out for them and be present in the moment.

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Conclusion

If you are not in London this spring don’t worry. Magnolia blossom was introduced to Britain in 1734. It is now common in warmer parts of Britain, where it was originally grown against south-facing walls. The natural range of Magnolia species is a disjunct distribution, with the main centre in east and southeast Asia and a secondary centre in eastern North America, Central America, the West Indies, and some species in South America.