Magnolia grandiflora "Little Gem"

Anyone know if these will come true from seed? I got about six pea sized seeds from mine this year.

I've never tried - always air-layered or cutting. Doesn't hurt to try.

Nope they are not gonna come true and you'd be better off taking cuttings. I about broke my neck balancing to get some of the seeds before the birds did, cleaned em all up to find out that they probably won't grow and if by chance they should it woudl be very doubtful if they were like momma. I ended up trashing mine and gonna take some cuttings. Might get to see some blooms that way.

I've grown southern magnolia from seed several times. It's actually an easy germinator. Mostly, I've collected from my own Bracken's Brown Beacon, and not one seedling has exhibited the brown indumentum that is so characteristic of the seed parent. That seems so peculiar to me, that I'm beginning to wonder if brown indumentum is perhaps an adult trait.

I would certainly say give it a try. But I would ask, too, what traits of the parent do you want. If it's that smaller foliage of LG you're after, you'll know pretty soon if your seedlings will provide that. If it's the smaller form, you might not know for several years.

Scott

I would be happy if they took after the LG or the straight wild species, I would find a place for them either way. I just didn't know what to expect.

I'd give it a try, you've got nothing to lose. Maybe some potting soil and your time, but hey, free trees! I say go for it and post pics when they germinate.

Since in Magnolias n =19 and Southern Magnolia is typically hexaploid (x=114), the seedlings have a lot of potential genetic variability. So, you are going to get a lot of different looking seedlings, with most probably more like the wild species than 'Little Gem'.

I had collected Magnolia grandiflora and the Brackens seed. My Bracken's seed looked nice and plump. Those I am going to plant. Will be interesting to see if I end up with green backs like you Scott.

One thing I didn't notice this year was seed pods on Claudia Wannamaker. Hope I got that name right. Does it not make pods, or maybe it was still to young too. How old do they have to be generally before they make pods?

While we in Magnolias. Does anybody know, can you try and cross a Southern Magnolia with a Magnolia soulangiana ?

While I was thinking about tre e trivia it crossed my mind that some of the folks down here are saying that the Tan Oak is gonna be the next " Little Gem" and replace it in the gardens. Anybody else heard this?

With SOD still a mystery, I think they'd be best to leave those tan oaks alone.

It all depends on which tan Oak(Lithocarpus sps.) you are talking about, since as far as I know no Asian species of tan Oak have shown susceptibility to SOD. It's only the lone American Lithocarpus(some people seperate a shrubby form into another species) that's been killed by SOD. Also, I haven't heard that rumor. Maybe I'm just out of the know, so to speak?

Also, no you can't cross Southern Magnolia(a Magnolia in subgenus Magnolia, section Magnolia) and Saucer Magnolia(M. x soulangeana, a Magnolia in subgenus Yulania, section Yulania). I don't know of any crosses across subgenera within Magnolia and as far as I know, it's impossible. But, you can cross one of the commonly cultivated Asian evergreen Magnolias, like Banana Shrub (Magnolia figo) with M. soulangeana! They are both in the same subgenus and similar hybrids have already been made.