Trees: Magnolias

Has anyone grown a Magnolia from a small plant? If so, can you please tell me what sort of magnolia it was, when you planted it and how long it has taken to reach the size it is now. I am trying to choose a couple for my garden but don't want to wait forever to see it reach a decent size. Thanks!

I have planted 2 magnolias this spring. A Ruby and an Alexandria. The nursery said they would grow about 1 1/2 feet per year but that could be speeded up if I were to pick all of the blooms off (which I did not do!) Hope this might help.

Hi Jeanne, are your magnolias Sweet Bay or some other cultivar?

Louisa, there are about 85 different species of magnolia. ;*) Are you talking about the evergreen magnolia grandiflora, the Southern magnolia, or one of the spring blooming deciduous varieties like the soulangiana?

I know the magnolias you speak of and yes, I want to grow the evergreens. Any info would be so much appreciated. I don't know what I would do without this site sometimes. It might seem as though I don't do any research, but I do and it's proving a daunting task when I have to start from scratch in a new country, new garden and red clay soil. Plus I have been ill and then there is the builder to deal with - quite a pain (our new house will be ready in May). I have now started to pack and to think I did this only last August and am now having to repeat the process. I'm tired... :-)

Sorry for the repeat post. My server took me off line and I thought the post had not gone through - WRONG!!,lol

This message was edited Saturday, Mar 17th 9:00 PM

Deciduous - soulangiana. Won't get too large and are spectacular in February when all you see on the magnolia are ruby blooms and no leaves!

The most commonly grown species of deciduous spring blooming magnolia is magnolia soulangiana, or Saucer Magnolia. It can form a small tree or large shrub depending on location and pruning. It is adaptable to a wide range of soils. Growth is to around 25 feet as a tree. The bark adds winter interest. Zones 5-9

Recommended cultivars:

Alexandrina
Brozzonii
Lenei
Lenei Alba
Rustica Rubra
Verbanica

In addition, consider an underutilized magnolia, magnolia stellata, or star magnolia. It is more shrublike than tree like but can attain good size. It is especially attractive as a small many trunked tree, because the bark is also decorative. Stellata's are the most cold and heat tolerant of the ornamentals, and are adapted to varied soils, zones 4-8.

Recommended varieties include:

Centennail
Rosea
Royal Star
Waterlily

Additional species of deciduous ornamental magnolias are magnolia acuminata, or Cucumbertree Magnolia which will grow to 50-80 feet high with a similar spread. Magnolia denudata, or the Yulan Magnolia is a parent of the soulangiana hybrid species, and will grow to 20-30 feet high. Magnolia loebneri is a hybrid between magnolia kobus and magnolia stellata, and is a small decorative tree. It is earlier than the soulangiana hybrids, and thus is sometimes bitten by late freezes.

--Source is Dirr's Hardy Tree's and Shrubs, by Michael Dirr.

This message was edited Monday, Mar 19th 5:13 PM

Thank you so much. Any thoughts on the evergreens, since this is what I am after really. Feel I'm being a pest!

"Dirr" indicates Magnolia grandiflora is a slow to medium grower, I would expect 6-8" per year, more with fertilization and regular watering. Unlike last summer, we have hot dry summers here in central VA so watering is something you need to keep an eye on especially with new plantings. There are quite a few varieties of evergreen magnolias and grwoth rate will also be dependant on which one you bought. Sally

Hi Sally (almost a neighbour) I'm in Charlottesville. I was thinking of planting in the Fall if I can find the one I want. Thanks for the info everyone.

Hi Louisa,

You should be able to find it locally. If not we carry them in Richmond. If you need the name of the nursery and it is ok to post it I will give you our webpage. The nursery is changing locations in the fall, so I am not sure how our inventory will be then. We do have inventory of evergreen magnolias now.

Sally

If you are growing a southern evergreen magnolias be ready for a wait. I have two in my front yard both thirty years old and twenty-five ft, tall.

Many deciduous Magnolias can be purchased online. I bought two varieties of M. soulangiana this year; one each from Bluestone Perennials and Forestfarm. Both have grown several inches, and are doing quite well. I'll either plant them this fall, or pot them up once more, and keep them in a coldframe or GH overwinter, then set them out in the spring.

The M. grandifloras are much slower-growing but they WILL eventually get quite large, in height and girth. (Which is why the good-sized specimens are rather expensive from the nursery!)

I see many homeowners using M. grandiflora as "anchor plants" in their landscaping, and placing them a mere 4 or 5 feet from a wall. I wonder if they realize that within a few years the tree will suffer and/or have to be removed?

I just have the 'saucer' magnolia that we planted early this spring and it is growing pretty good but you might want to check out the information these sites.

http://www.arbutusgarden.com/Pages/Plants/Magnoliadesc.htm

http://www.gardengal.net/page13.html

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG270

An old post resurrected I see!! What a shame puttyrat (Sally) is not with us any more. I wonder what became of her. Terry the Magnolia grandiflora can be grown as a wall plant and have seen it on many an occasion. Thanks coco, since I posted this way back (2 years) :-) I have managed to learn a lot about them. If some of the evergreen trees are grafted onto a vigorous rootstock then flowers will appear much earlier.

Maybe someone can help me; We planted a (5g) deciduous magnolia five years ago in our back yard (so long ago that we don't recall the variety). It's been very happy, now about 12 to 15 feet tall, but not a single flower as yet. Any ideas how long I might have to wait?

Ditto the wait; we have 2 out front: one was here when we moved in 10 years ago, so I have no idea what kind. It finally bloomed this year!

We planted a 10' Southern magnolia nearby 6 years ago and it has only grown a few feet, if that, never bloomed.

Slow is an understatement!

This is about Magnolia Grandiflora, Southern Magnolia. I worked at a house museum where magnolia leaves were used as decorations every Christmas.
When I went to clean up Magnolias that had been stuck in planter boxes on the front porch (say a month or two later), I found that they had rooted. Then I began to do this on purpose and gave the rooted Magnolias away. The potting soil had been in those concrete planters for years. The porch faced East and sun was filtered by the mature Magnolia Trees. Be wary that the Southern Magnolia is a very large tree. Here I would not call it a slow growing tree. I think you could probably make a very large cutting by sticking a good sized specimen in a large pot of sort of composty soil. A better behaved Magnolia in my opinion is the Magnolia Virginiana. I believe this is the Sweet Bay Magnolia. It is smaller and more likely to fit into a normal sized landscape. It blooms a little later than the Grandiflora. The Magnolias also grow readily from seed. You have to soak off the red coating.

I recently moved to FL and inherited a huge Magnolia that is about 30' high. It hasn't bloomed in 1 1/2 yrs. It was diagnosed with a mildew and scale. I got some "medicine" and food spikes and it seems to be doing better. It was mentioned to me that perhaps it is a male Magnolia and that's why it doesn't bloom. Is there such a thing? Please help.

yesterday I went to my favorite garden shop in Tuscaloosa. There was a collection of "Little Gem" Magnolias. Some of them still had perfect miniature blossoms--about 3 ". They bloom all summer. The grow to about 35 ft. Very well behaved and the horticulturalist said they grow upward branching, unlike the Southern magnolias which tend to sucker if the branches touch the ground. They are "Little Gems" if you don't have acres and acres of space.