Magnificent Magnolias

One of the delights of Spring is when the magnolias start to bloom. There is hardly an old neighborhood in our southern Great Lakes region that doesn't sport a few venerable old specimens of Magnolia soulangiana, or the 'Saucer Magnolia'. They hearken back to a time of white gloves and lace, of refinement and culture, of Southern gentility.

Magnolias add so much to the landscape. It's a shame that many people don't include them in their yards. Just because we live in a northern region should not stop us from including a few of these Spring beauties in our landscapes. You might even be surprised at the choices available even to those of us who live and garden in the southern Great Lakes region!

There are so many varieties of magnolias out there. Flowers can range from snow white to chocolaty burgundy. Some flowers are yellow, some have the cup shape that we have come to associate with magnolias, some are star shaped, and some are lily shaped. The plants can be in bush form, single-stemmed or multi-stemmed trees. The leaves can be deciduous, evergreen, or semi-evergreen. In our region, we definitely want to concentrate on the hardier varieties, which tend to be deciduous. (I will get into a pet project of mine regarding the other varieties a little further along in this article).

Magnolias are actually a member of a family of sub-tropical plants adapted to growing in the more temperate regions of our planet. Cold hardiness varies greatly, and this is one plant where hardiness can vary even within a specific variety. For example, let's say you purchase the saucer magnolia, Magnolia soulangiana, 'Alexandrina', from two different sources. They are identical in every way, grown in the same way, purchased at the same age of growth, identical in every respect except one. One was bought from a local nursery, and the other was bought at a nursery on your way back home from a trip about 500 miles south of where you live. You plant them basically side by side. The one purchased at the local nursery lives. The one from the more southern location lags behind or dies. Magnolias can be that touchy. Although this is not etched in stone, locally grown magnolias generally have an edge over "imported" varieties. However, if there is a variety that you can only get by mail order and its rated hardy in your zone, then buy it. But plant it in a more protected area for a few years to allow it to get acclimated to your conditions before you plant it in its permanent spot. Let's face it: There are quite a few more varieties of magnolias to choose from via mail order or on the web than is usually available locally. Just try to pamper them a little for the first few years.

There are so many different varieties of magnolias to choose from! I mentioned the beloved saucer magnolia, M. soulangiana, of which 'Alexandrina' is one of the more popular and hardier of the cultivars. Let me tell you about some other magnolias. (All of these are reported to be hardy into zone 5b, unless otherwise noted).

The "Little Girl" series of magnolias are gaining widespread popularity in our region. Most of these are small, shrubby trees, and make great additions to today's smaller landscapes. The easiest to locate varieties, 'Ann', 'Betty', and 'Ricki', are good choices. Flower colors range from intense purple to pastels, dependent upon variety. Flower forms vary from lily to chalice form.

Magnolia x loebneri, 'Leonard Messel', is a lilac-pink variety of good substance and hardiness. 'Merril' is another hybrid with white shaped flowers. Both are of good hardiness.

'Wada's Memory' is another magnolia that forms a pyramidal shaped tree reflective of its Magnolia kobus parentage. It has huge six-inch flowers, usually before leaf-out.

One of the hardier forms of magnolia is the star magnolia, or M. stellata. The flowers are formed of multiple tepals, or petals. They tend to be rather small in stature, and form small, multi-trunked bushes or trees. The flowers are reminiscent of stars, hence the name stellata. The only drawback is that some of them bloom a bit on the early side, so in some years, frost cuts the show short. Some good varieties are 'Centennial', a blush or pink-white, 'Rubra', or 'Red Star', and 'Alba', or 'White Star'.

One of the most exciting developments in magnolias is the the development of unusually shaded varieties. M. liliflora, 'O'Neill', is a dark purple red and late blooming magnolia. It is reportedly hardy into zone 4, and forms a multi-trunked shrub of 12 to 15 feet in height.

'Woodsman' is a stunning and very hardy (zone 4) hybrid of M. acuminata x liliflora. This magnolia has blooms of many shades of purple, rose pink, and pale green that open from chocolate-purple interiors. It is a late bloomer and misses most frosts, and is lovely as an understory tree or in a woodsy, filtered light setting.

Now, I am crazy about the next group of magnolias. If there are any gardeners out there who know of any regional or local sources of the wonderful yellow-flowering magnolias, let me know! If they have a web site, I will add a link. I think it is the next wave of the future in magnolias, and I would want everyone to be able to buy these from a local source.

The past few years has seen an explosion of development of the yellow flowering magnolias. Most of these new hybrids are very hardy in our region. Magnolia acuminata is prominent in the development of these magnolias as is M x brooklynensis.

The yellow magnolias have pale pastel to buttery yellow colored flowers. Some of the more popular cultivars include 'Elizabeth', which is still one of the most sought after and older hybrids of the yellow flowering magnolias. It forms a small tree with pastel yellow flowers, and is hardy throughout our growing region.

Another one of the original yellow flowering hybrids is 'Butterflies'. This magnolia has a deeper, more pronounced yellow color, and is reported to be even hardier than 'Elizabeth'.

Newer cultivars and varieties of yellow flowering magnolias are available, pretty much only by mail order sources. They are, 'Yellow lantern', 'Yellow Bird' (zone 4), 'Hattie Carthan', and 'Golden Girl'. There are many more out there, and by the time I finish typing this article, there will probably be even more yellow hybrids available!

One last word about the yellow magnolias: I have added 'Gold Cup' to my magnolia collection. It flowered as described for the first time in the spring of 2002: heavily textured, deep yellow, and cup shaped. It is also a late bloomer. This yellow flowering hybrid was developed by Dr. August Kehr, a retired USDA research scientist who has done much work in the development of new varieties of deciduous magnolias. (While I am mentioning plant hybridizers, I want to take a moment to honor the late Dr. David Leach who contributed so much to the development of many new hybrid plants, including magnolias. Among his creations was the aforementioned 'Golden Girl'. We have lost so much when this great man passed on).

Whether you buy from a local source or from a mail order source, here are a few pointers to help you grow magnolias successfully.

First, if the plant is from mail order or from a source away from our region, grow the plant in a protected place for the first two years or so. Transplant magnolias in the Spring only. They do not do well in our region when transplanted in the Fall.

Never allow the trees to dry out. Magnolias do not take to arid locations in the landscape. They will not take soggy roots, however, so make sure you pick a site with good drainage.

Avoid wind swept and exposed locations. Although magnolias do well in the sun, keep them out of the wind. If you plant them in a north or east location, they will bloom a little later and tend to stand a better chance of avoiding late frosts.

Magnolias like it a little on the acid side. The soulangiana varieties are not as particular on soil acidity as are some of the other varieties. However, if your soil is typical of much of our region (alkaline), amend the planting soil with peat, leaf mold, and compost. If you must acidify your soil, use soil sulfur and not aluminum sulfate! I suggest incorporating magnolias into the mixed border rather than placing them in a solitary position in the yard. That way, the whole bed and planting area is amended, and the roots can reach out into the surrounding soil more easily.

Now for my pet project...

The other magnolias I haven't mentioned yet are the evergreen and semi-evergreen varieties. Magnolia virginiana, or 'Sweet Bay' Magnolia is one that I have growing in my yard. It has lived in a boggy site for the past two years, and has done well. It is semi-evergreen. This plant naturally sheds some of its leaves in the Spring, but will shed more after a hard Winter. My resources conflict on its hardiness. I have some sources that rate it into zone 5b, others into zone 6a, and one source into zone 4b! This plant loves moisture, and can take wet feet, hence its other name, 'Swamp Magnolia'. I make no recommendations here. Ask me after five or so more years have passed how it is doing, and I will truthfully tell you. The reason I am attempting to grow this is because it is semi-evergreen; its flowers resemble those of the Southern Magnolia in form and fragrance, except for the flowers being more scaled-down in size. It has lemon scented white blooms from June to July, which also extends the magnolia season, a big plus in my book. It supposedly grows to about 12 feet or more in this area, and forms a multi-stemmed tree or can be trained to a single stem. I am evaluating its merit and worth before including any endorsement of it as a good variety to grow in our area.

The other part of my pet project is to grow the true Southern Magnolia, a.k.a. Evergreen Magnolia or more properly, Magnolia grandiflora. I am growing an older variety, 'Victoria', that is supposedly hardy to nearly -20 degrees. I have this tree planted in a very protected spot, and it has been in my yard for less than two years and has so far survived. I am also looking for a variety that is supposed to be extremely hardy called, '24 Below'. It has been reported to survive -24 degrees without sustaining any damage. Other varieties I want to try are 'Edith Bogue' and 'Bracken's Brown Beauty'. These are all supposed to be hardy around here. Again, there is conflict in reports of hardiness for these plants. Some sources quote 5b as the limit, others only into zone 6a. I am keeping a neutral mind about this particular experiment into pushing the limits in my zone. Not only must they survive, they must be able to bounce back from the worst cold spells our region can throw at them every few Winters or so. They must be able to grow well and perform. It is not enough just to marginally survive. As I learn more, I will pass the information along.

At any rate, there are magnolias out there for us Northerners. They can be grown, and quite successfully. Please think about including them into your landscaping. Grow one, and I am sure you will be hooked! Now, excuse me, y'all, while I mosey on over to sit down and admire one of my magnolias. (I can always pretend that I am in Savannah, even if only for a little while each spring)!

Page Last Updated February 7, 2006