Where Can I Buy A Magnolia Tree
Magnolias are beautiful shrubs and ornamental trees that bring a touch of show-stopping glamour to the garden. Their sumptuous, tulip- or star-like flower colours range from pure white through pink to deep magenta and even yellow. Many also have a lovely fragrance.
where can i buy a magnolia tree
Magnolias can be deciduous or evergreen, and range in size from small shrubs to large trees. Most prefer neutral or acidic soil. If you don't have the right type of soil, the smaller magnolias grow well in pots. Many flower in spring, but some flower in summer.
Magnolia trees and larger shrubs are ideal for growing as standalone trees, while the smaller magnolia trees such as Magnolia stellata look good in a border or make good trees for pots. Read more about trees for small gardens. Evergreen magnolias, such as Magnolia grandiflora, can be trained against a wall.
Most magnolias do best in acidic to neutral soil. If you don't have the right soil in your garden, or don't have room for a large tree, the smaller magnolias grow very well in pots. Magnolias need a sheltered spot, away from strong winds. Avoid frost pockets, as frost can damage the flowers in spring. A spot that gets plenty of sun will ensure a good display of flowers. Prune lightly in mid-summer to early autumn. Ensure the soil does not dry out in summer.
Magnolias are best planted in autumn or late spring. They have shallow roots, so you don't need to dig a very deep hole. Dig a generous hole to the same depth of the pot your magnolia comes in. Avoid damaging the fleshy roots, as this can inhibit flowering. Add well-rotted garden compost or leaf mould around it, and check the level of the plant so that the point where it has been grafted is not below the soil. Gently firm in the plant with your heel and water in well. Mulch with an acidic mulch such as bark, or garden compost. Keep the plant well watered while it establishes.
In this video, Monty Don demonstrates how to plant a magnolia in a border, explaining the best way to prepare the planting hole, what type of soil it needs, and how to ensure it settles in well. He also recommends a compact variety with gorgeous dark pink flowers, ideal for a small garden:
Pruning magnolias is best done after they has flowered, to remove broken, diseased or crossing branches. Magnolias don't respond well to hard pruning and may cease flowering afterwards. So if you do have to restrict the size of your shrub or tree, or renovate it, do this over a few years, pruning only a few branches at a time to avoid stressing it. Mulch in spring with manure, composted pine bark or leaf mould. Ensure that the plant does not dry out in summer.
Magnolias can be propagated by cuttings, but they may need extra heat and light in winter. Deciduous magnolias can be propagated by taking softwood cuttings in early summer and evergreen varieties by semi-ripe cuttings in late summer and autumn.
Honey fungus can spread underground and attack and kill the roots of magnolia, eventually killing the plant. Symptoms to look out for include die-back, pale foliage, an absence of flowers, bleeding and cracking bark.
Bracket fungus also causes dieback, as well as thinning of the tree crown. You will also spot large fungi on the branches of the trees. By the time these appears, there will have been extensive decay in the heart of the branch, which may fall off.
Magnolia stellata is a great small magnolia tree for a smaller garden or a container, in sun or shade. It's a deciduous shrub with star-shaped blooms that appear before the leaves, in early spring. They have a very light fragrance. There are several varieties to choose from, including the white-flowered Magnolia stellata 'Centennial' and the pale pink Magnolia stellata 'Jane Platt'.
Magnolia sieboldii or the Chinese magnolia is a very hardy, deciduous species. The scented flowers are cup-shaped and large with deep maroon centres. They have a long flowering season from May to September and the foliage is attractive and glossy. A real statement tree.
Magnolia grandiflora is a large evergreen that produces large white, lemon-scented flowers in August and September. An impressive, stately plant, it can be grown against a sunny wall, where it will appreciate the heat. It tolerates more alkaline and chalky soils. It can eventually grow very large. H x S: 15m x 15m.
Magnolias are prized worldwide for their flowers and forms. Growing as large shrubs or trees, they produce showy, fragrant flowers that are white, pink, red, purple or yellow. Some forms are evergreen with glossy and leathery leaves and some evergreen types have buds, stems and undersides of leaves that are covered with attractive gold to copper to brown felt-like hairs. There are more than 200 species of Magnolia native to temperate, subtropical and tropical areas of southeastern Asia, eastern North America, Central America, the Caribbean and parts of South America. Many are now grown worldwide because of their beautiful flowers, shape and form.
Magnolias prefer a spot in the garden that receives full sun to light shade. That said, if you live in a particularly warm or dry climate, your magnolia might benefit from a location shaded from the hot afternoon sun. If possible, avoid exposed, windy locations because strong winds can damage large flowers and the typically brittle branches.
Most magnolias grow best in moist, well-drained, slightly acid soils but neutral to slightly alkaline soils are also suitable for growth. Magnolias are adaptable to clay, loam or sand soils, but most grow poorly in wet or poorly drained soils. Well-established plants can be moderately drought tolerant.
So many choices, too small a garden. When you start looking into magnolias, you will want one in every bed! Some magnolias are grown primarily for their flowers, usually in the form of a shrub or small tree. Other magnolias grow to be large shade trees, and yet others are used as evergreen shrubs, trees or hedges. Consult our Magnolia Cultivars Checklist for options and consider visiting one of the gardens listed on this map to get an idea for the kinds of magnolias that are likely to do well in your climate.
Star Magnolia: Those of you living in colder areas may already be familiar with Star Magnolia, Magnolia stellata. This magnolia is one of the best known species because it is very cold hardy (USDA Zones 4-8), widely adaptable and blooms when very small. Star Magnolia is a slow growing, broad spreading, small tree or large shrub, ultimately reaching 15 feet tall or more. Leaves may be 4-8 inches long and up to 3 inches wide. As a deciduous plant, the dark green leaves drop in fall, sometimes turning yellow before falling.
Saucer Magnolia: Saucer and other large-flowered hybrid magnolias are deciduous trees known for their spectacular display of flowers appearing before the foliage in late winter and early spring. They are considered some of our most beautiful flowering trees, and some cultivars are hardy into USDA Zone 4 while others are adaptable in warmer Zone 9. These deciduous flowering magnolias generally are considered small trees with slow to moderate growth rates. Smaller cultivars may be grown as large shrubs and some larger trees may eventually grow 40 to 70 feet tall. Tree shape characteristically is upright to rounded when young and becoming rounded or broad-spreading with age. The medium green leaves are oval to circular in shape and vary in size from 3 to 10 inches long and 2 to 10 inches wide. Leaves turn a nondescript yellow to brown before dropping in fall. The trunk has smooth, tan or grey bark and branches exhibit large, fuzzy flower buds.
Southern Magnolia: Residents of warm temperate climates (USDA Zones 7-9) may be familiar with the Southern Magnolia. This native of southeastern North America was first introduced to Europe in 1731, and quickly became popular because of its glossy evergreen foliage, large beautiful flowers and elegant form. Growing as a small to large evergreen tree, Southern Magnolia also was found to be widely adaptable to different climates, soils, and exposures. Thus, it was the first Magnolia to be planted widely as a street or shade tree and is now grown nearly worldwide wherever suitable climate and soils exist.
Champaca Magnolia: Many magnolias grow in subtropical and tropical climates typical of USDA Zones 10-12 and warmer. Champaca Magnolia is a native of southeastern Asia famous for its extremely fragrant creamy-white, yellow or yellow-orange flowers. The small flowers are produced in large numbers because they form all along the branches and not just at the stem tips as with many other magnolias. Champaca blooms from spring through summer and sporadically flowers in winter. Its fragrance is so beautiful and powerful, it is used to make perfumes.
Champaca Magnolia is often grown in humid subtropical and tropical areas because it is valued for its form as an evergreen tree as well as its floral fragrance. Champaca Magnolia's typical size in the landscape is 30 feet tall and wide, though this tree may grow much larger with time.
Deciduous magnolias (those that drop their leaves in fall) are best planted when dormant, typically in late fall or winter in warmer climates and early spring in cold climates. Evergreen magnolias are best planted in early spring. For the first 6 to 12 months after planting, both types will benefit from mulch and regular irrigation during warm or dry weather.
Check with your local retail nursery or garden center. They may know which magnolias grow well in your area and will have these for sale. You may need to look for specialty, rare or new magnolias at "better" garden centers or from an online magnolia nursery. Consult our list of magnolia nurseries for suppliers specializing in this family.
Look for healthy magnolias with evenly spaced branches. A container-grown plant can be slipped out of its pot to inspect the roots. Healthy roots are white, whereas diseased roots are brown to black and often have a sour odor. 041b061a72