Toulouse: The Purpan magnolia, one of the oldest in Europe
With its exceptional ramification, the magnolia of the School of Engineers of Purpan, object of several distinctions, would be the oldest in Europe.
In 2009, it was the first tree labeled “remarkable tree in France”. And voted “Tree of the Year” in 2013. Present in the grounds of the Purpan Engineering School, the Magnolia Grandiflora never ceases to arouse admiration. Distinctions that celebrate both its multiple trunk and its exceptional branching. This lemon-scented white magnolia, 24 meters high and with an offshoot covering 1300 m2, dates back to 1711, making it one of the oldest in Europe. When it blooms in early April, the tree is covered in flowers larger than a man’s hand…with sturdy petals and a captivating scent. “Long extinct, the magnolia has survived in North America and Asia , believes Hervé Brustel, conservation biologist and teacher-researcher at the Purpan School of Engineering. Coming from the New World, this tree arrived at the port of Nantes from 1711 (like that of Purpan) then appeared in the four rooms of the planet, in particular in the gardens of acclimatization”. Ecole d’Ingénieurs is renowned in Toulouse. Visible from the ring road due to its height, it gives the visitor who lands under its branches the impression of being isolated in a very dense forest. ” this plant, we know that the magnolia de Purpan was planted by the sisters-in-law of the Comtesse du Barry, favorite of King Louis XV around 1784.
A tree of eternity
This Magnolia grandiflora is the object of study with students. The public can also, by appointment, ask to discover this tree. “Listed “Espace Boisé Classé”, this magnolia is also the subject of cuttings being taken, thus allowing the development of plants marketed under the registered label “Magnolia grandiflora de Purpan”, specifies Hervé Brustel. In addition, several specimens from cuttings of this tree are present in the courtyard of the Hôtel Matignon in Paris”. A tree that must be discovered to realize what it really represents for the environment. A tree which must still, for several decades, amaze generations and make better understand the mysteries of nature. If Man does not make a regrettable error, if a mushroom does not harm his health, or if lightning does not decapitate him, this magnolia is immortal. The visitor who comes to rest under its arch of branches quickly understands that this tree is a symbol of eternity.
Info: 75 Voie du Toec, 31076 Toulouse, 05 61 15 30 30