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MAGNOLIA


How to Grow Magnolias


LOCATION For any magnolia, choose the planting site care- fully—these trees are hard to move once established. Pick a location where the shallow, fl eshy roots won’t be damaged by digging or by soil compaction from con- stant foot traffi c. Magnolias never look their best when crowded.


Larger deciduous types are most effective standing alone against a background that will display their fl owers and, in winter, their strongly patterned, typically gray limbs and big, fuzzy fl ower buds. Smaller deciduous mag- nolias show up well in large fl ower or shrub borders and make choice ornaments in Japanese gardens. All magnolias may be used


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as lawn trees; try to provide a good-size grass-free area around the trunk, and don’t plant under the tree. In frost- prone areas, plant early- fl owering magnolias in a northern exposure to delay bloom as long as possible and lessen frost damage.


SOIL Magnolias appreciate fairly rich, neutral to fairly acid soil amended with plenty of organic matter at planting time. At least in the early years, keep a cooling mulch over the root area.


PLANTING Balled-and- burlapped plants are avail- able in late winter and early spring; container plants are sold anytime. Do not set plants lower than their origi- nal soil level. In windy loca- tions, stake single-trunked or very heavy plants to keep them from rocking to and fro—the movement would tear the thick, fl eshy, sensi- tive roots. Soggy soil can topple newly planted large magnolias, so stake big spec- imens if you are planting them just before the rainy season; to avoid damaging roots, set stakes in the plant- ing hole before placing the tree. Remove stakes as soon as the tree is fi rmly rooted.


WATERING Irrigate deeply and thoroughly, but don’t waterlog the soil or the tree will drown. Only M. virginiana can take constantly wet soil.


FERTILIZING Magnolias are subject to problems caused by nutrient defi ciencies. Chlo- rosis from lack of iron in alkaline soils shows up as yellowing between leaf veins; iron chelates will correct this condition. Fertilizer will rem- edy nitrogen defi ciency. Feed trees if new growth is sparse and weak, or if the tree shows a fair amount of die- back despite adequate water- ing and drainage. Use a controlled-release product, since magnolias are very sus- ceptible to salt damage from overfertilizing, which can cause burned leaf edges. The same leaf damage can result from excess mineral salts in the soil or salts in irrigation water. The latter is a problem in Southern Califor- nia and, typically, the factor limiting success of magnolias in desert regions. Frequent heavy waterings will help leach out salts and carry them to lower soil levels—as long as drainage is good. In the Northwest, late frosts may burn edges of new leaves.


PRUNING For deciduous magnolias, best time is after bloom; for evergreen kinds, do the job before the spring growth fl ush. Best method is to remove the entire twig or limb to the base. Cuts on deciduous kinds are often slow to callus over, so prune these only when necessary to correct shape, eliminate or cut back wayward branches, or remove lower branches from trunk as tree gains height.


CHALLENGES Watch for scale and aphids at any time and for spider mites in hot weather. Protect lower leaves of shrubby types from snails and slugs. Magnolias are not immune to oak root fungus, but they seem somewhat resistant.


bright pink blossoms (paler inside), 11 in. across. Blooms for 1–2 months, beginning in early spring (before leafout). Grows 30–35 ft. tall and 20 ft. wide. Especially good magnolia for Southern California and inland areas. M. stellata. STAR MAGNO- LIA. Zones 2b–9, 14–24. White fl owers to 3 in. across, with 12–18 narrow, strap-shaped segments. Profuse bloom comes very early—late winter to early spring, before leafout. Some varieties are fragrant. Slow growing, shrubby to 10 ft. tall and 20 ft. wide. Use for borders, entryway gardens, edge of woods. Plant this early bloomer where you can see fl owers from indoors. Quite hardy, but fl owers often nipped by frost in colder part of range. Fine texture in twig, leaf. Fair yellow-and-brown fall leaf color. ‘Centennial’ bears white blossoms faintly marked pink, 5 in. across, with 40–50 seg- ments. It’s like an improved ‘Waterlily’. ‘Dawn’ has white fl owers with 25 or more seg- ments, each with a longitudinal pink stripe. ‘Jane Platt’ grows a little bigger than the species (12–15 ft. tall by 10–12 ft. wide) and has rich pink, 4–5-in. blossoms with 40–50 seg- ments. ‘Rosea’, pink star mag- nolia, has pink buds; fl owers open pink-fl ushed white, age to plain white. Various plants are sold under this name. ‘Royal Star’ grows quickly to 18–20 ft. tall and 15 ft. wide, with fra- grant white blooms with 25–30 segments. It blooms 2 weeks later than species. ‘Rubra’ bears rosy pink blooms to 5 in. across and is more treelike in form than other varieties. ‘Waterlily’ has pink buds open- ing to very fragrant white blos- soms to 5 in. across, with 40–50 segments. Blooms later and is faster growing than most star magnolias. Various plants are sold under this name. M. ‘Sundance’. Zones 3b–


9, 14–24. Fragrant, pale golden yellow, saucer-shaped fl owers to 8 in. across. Blooms in spring, before leafout. Fast-growing, pyramidal tree to 25–30 ft. tall and 20 ft. wide. M. × veitchii. VEITCH MAG- NOLIA. Zones 4–9, 14–24. Spectacular tree. Profuse show


of goblet-shaped, 8–10-in.-wide blooms in soft white fl ushed with pink. Blooms in midspring, before leafout. Fast growing and vigorous to 30–40 ft. tall and 30 ft. wide. Needs plenty of room. Protect from wind; branches are brittle. Good mag- nolia for Southern California. Give it afternoon shade in hot- test areas. ‘Columbus’ bears 4–5-in.-wide, white fl owers with purple highlight at base of each segment. Narrower than the species, growing 30–35 ft. tall and 15–20 ft. wide. Has a thicker trunk and stronger branching structure than other magnolias, making it a sturdy choice for urban plantings. M. ‘Vulcan’. Zones 4–9, 14–24. Showy, ruby red blos- soms to 10–12 in. across. Flow- ers borne in tree’s younger years may be smaller and paler than those on older trees. With good care, trees will produce mature fl owers in 3 or 4 years. Blooms in spring, before leaf- out. Open form when young, becoming more rounded with age. Grows 25 ft. tall and wide. M. wilsonii. WILSON MAG- NOLIA. Zones 4–9, 14–24. Fra- grant, pendulous, 3–4-in.-wide, white blossoms with red sta- mens in late spring. Spreading shrub or tree, to 25 ft. tall and wide, with rich purple-brown twigs. Plant high on bank where you can look up into fl owers. Best in light shade. M. ‘Yellow Bird’. Zones


3b–9, 14–24. Deepest yellow color of the yellow hybrids. Slight green tinge at base of erect, 3-in.-long fl ower seg- ments. Blooms for 2–3 weeks in early to midspring, as leaves emerge. Upright and pyramidal when young, broadly oval when mature. Grows 40 ft. tall and 20 ft. wide. Furrowed bark. Sometimes available as a multi- trunked form. M. ‘Yellow Lantern’. Zones 3b–9, 14–24. Clear yellow blossoms (darker than those of M. ‘Elizabeth’, paler than those of M. ‘Yellow Bird’) with upright or slightly spread- ing segments to 6 in. long. Open from large, furry buds. Midspring, before leafout. Upright, single-trunked tree to 50 ft. tall and 20–25 ft. wide.


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