Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)
The Southern Magnolia is a true American classic. He is also known as the Bull-bay Magnolia, but no matter the name, he is the epitome of refinement and considered the most widely grown evergreen in the world!
He has an almost tropical look so it may not be a surprise that he is mild mannered and intolerant of weather extremes. He is a lowland forest resident, frequently found naturally situated comfortably alongside his much tougher cousin sweet bay magnolia on moist woodsy banks in a community of maturing trees anywhere from North Carolina to Florida and west to Texas. He is a grower's challenge for Missouri.
His big shinny leaves are present in winter so he classified as an evergreen, but he is a little tender skinned and can suffer from wind burn. When he does shed his leaves, it is usually a sign that spring is in full swing! Some leaf drop in the fall is natural too. Quite a few more leaves will fall during and after especially harsh winters. The leaves are so large it is easy enough to make a game of picking them up.
He has the potential to grow to an old age, fairly fast growing in his youth and very tall when perfectly sited in his prefered zone/ growing range. Some speciems are well over 40' tall. Many cultivars are now being selected for particular attributes including winter hardiness, narrow profile, urban pollution tolerance and short more compact habit than the species. S. m. 'Bracken's Brown Beauty' is reported to be the most winter hardy for Missouri.
His huge white water lily looking flowers with” lemon pudding cooking on the stove” fragrance makes any special site planning and soil preparation worthwhile! He is perfectly suited for rain garden borders and wildlife habitats. The attractive red seed cones that mature in late summer are a favorite of many songbirds.
Care Factor Rating: 1 Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) must be watered regularly till established. It is considered best to plant magnolia in the spring as growth begins. Some leaf drop may occur during transplant transition. To maintain his natural multi-stem branching habit, minimize any pruning to the removal of only the occasional damaged or dead branch. This can be done any time of the year.
The Southern Magnolia is a true American classic. He is also known as the Bull-bay Magnolia, but no matter the name, he is the epitome of refinement and considered the most widely grown evergreen in the world!
He has an almost tropical look so it may not be a surprise that he is mild mannered and intolerant of weather extremes. He is a lowland forest resident, frequently found naturally situated comfortably alongside his much tougher cousin sweet bay magnolia on moist woodsy banks in a community of maturing trees anywhere from North Carolina to Florida and west to Texas. He is a grower's challenge for Missouri.
His big shinny leaves are present in winter so he classified as an evergreen, but he is a little tender skinned and can suffer from wind burn. When he does shed his leaves, it is usually a sign that spring is in full swing! Some leaf drop in the fall is natural too. Quite a few more leaves will fall during and after especially harsh winters. The leaves are so large it is easy enough to make a game of picking them up.
He has the potential to grow to an old age, fairly fast growing in his youth and very tall when perfectly sited in his prefered zone/ growing range. Some speciems are well over 40' tall. Many cultivars are now being selected for particular attributes including winter hardiness, narrow profile, urban pollution tolerance and short more compact habit than the species. S. m. 'Bracken's Brown Beauty' is reported to be the most winter hardy for Missouri.
His huge white water lily looking flowers with” lemon pudding cooking on the stove” fragrance makes any special site planning and soil preparation worthwhile! He is perfectly suited for rain garden borders and wildlife habitats. The attractive red seed cones that mature in late summer are a favorite of many songbirds.
Care Factor Rating: 1 Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) must be watered regularly till established. It is considered best to plant magnolia in the spring as growth begins. Some leaf drop may occur during transplant transition. To maintain his natural multi-stem branching habit, minimize any pruning to the removal of only the occasional damaged or dead branch. This can be done any time of the year.
Foliage harvested for holiday decorating will impact flower and seed production the following season. Buds form primarily at branch tips in the fall. He is normally pest free and without any significant disease issues.
photo credit: Missouri Botanical Garden Plantfinder Glenn Kopp
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