MagnoliaFamily: MagnoliaceaeSubfamily: Magnolioideae

SummaryMagnolias 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.

A bit of HistoryMagnolia is an ancient genus.

It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol. He was also one of the innovators who devised the botanical scheme of classification. He was the first to publish the concept of plant families as they are understood today, a natural classification of groups of plants that have features in common.

Appearing before bees did, the flowers are theorized to have evolved to encourage pollination by beetles. To avoid damage from pollinating beetles, the carpels of Magnolia flowers are extremely tough. Fossilised specimens of M. acuminata have been found dating to 20 million years ago, and of plants identifiably belonging to the Magnoliaceae date to 95 million years ago. Another aspect of Magnolia considered to represent an ancestral state is that the flower bud is enclosed in a bract rather than in sepals; the perianth parts are undifferentiated and called tepals rather than distinct sepals and petals.

Genus Magnolia– just scratching the surface!Subgenus Magnolia

• Magnolia• Gwillimia

• Gwillimia• Blumiana

• Talauma • Talauma• Dugandiodendron• Cubenses

• Manglietia• Kmeria• Rhytidospermum

• Rhytidospermum• Oyama

• Auriculata• Macrophylla

Subgenus Gynopodium• Gynopodium• Manglietiastrum

Subgenus Yulania• Yulania

• Yulania• Tulipastrum

• Michelia • Michelia• Elmerrillia• Maingola• Aromadendron

Deciduous vs EvergreenThe differences between deciduous magnolias and evergreen magnolias go far beyond the fact that deciduous trees lose their leaves in the winter months, while evergreen trees retain theirs. Choosing one or the other depends on where you live, your landscaping preference and even the amount of work you're willing to put in to care for the magnolia. Evergreen magnolias as a general rule are far easier to care for and according to the University of Minnesota, evergreen magnolias are also more tolerant of soil conditions, requiring less soil fertility than deciduous magnolias.Most evergreen magnolias thrive in warmer climates only, where temperatures in winter are mild or even cool, but not freezing. Some evergreen magnolias change to deciduous magnolias when they live in a cooler climate. Deciduous magnolias are more hardy and cold resistant as a whole. Be aware that although deciduous magnolias are hardier, the ones that have early blooms at times suffer from frost damage. If it's size and coverage you're after, you'll want to go with a deciduous, as they tend to grow significantly faster than their evergreen counterparts.

The ones we know and loveWe all know the common varieties:Magnolia grandiflora, commonly known as the southern magnolia or bull bay, is a tree of the family Magnoliaceae native to the southeastern United States. Reaching 27.5 m in height it is a large, striking evergreen tree with large, dark green leaves up to 20 cm long and 12 cm wide, and large, white, fragrant flowers up to 30 cm in diameter. Although endemic to the lowland subtropical forests on the Gulf and south Atlantic coastal plain, magnolia grandiflora is widely cultivated in warmer areas around the world. The timber is hard and heavy, and has been used commercially to make furniture, pallets, and veneer

Little Gem (magnolia grandiflora)This is the dwarf variety of the evergreen or Bull Bay magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora). ‘Little Gem’ was developed by Warren Steed of Steed’s Nursery in North Carolina in the U.S.A. It has many of the attributes of its parent, including large white fragrant flowers, but it is a smaller, more compact plant.Like the evergreen magnolia, the underside of each leaf on ‘Little Gem’ is a rich, reddish-brown. When you look up at mature trees the undersides of the leaves are clearly visible, and you can sometimes achieve charming effects by coordinating those colours with other things in the garden.

Port Wine (Michelia figo)

An evergreen, dense shrub from western China. It grows slowly to around 3m (10 ) tall, and produces small, ′purple-brown flowers from early September to late November.

The flowers are insignificant to look at, but they have a sweet, heavy scent reminiscent of juicy fruit chewing gum or bananas.

Other of Types of Magnolia

Magnolia denudataKnown as the lilytree or Yulan magnolia, it is native to central and eastern China. It has been cultivated in Chinese Buddhist temple gardens since 600 AD. Its flowers were regarded as a symbol of purity in the Tang Dynasty and it was planted in the grounds of the Emperor's palace. It is the official city flower of Shanghai.Pure white tulip shaped flowers with a subtle lemon fragrance. Early season flowering. Gorgeous specimen tree.Grows to 3m high x 2m wide in the first 10 years.

Purple Lily Magnolia (liliiflora Nigra)Small tree. Suitable for small and average sized gardens, with shrubby, erect growth. The narrow upright flowers have the deepest purple outer surface, and are white within. Fragrantly perfumed. Beautiful specimen tree.Grows to 3m high x 2m wide in the first 10 years.

loebneri Leonard Messell

Small densely branched tree to large shrub. Pink star shaped flowers in profusion in Winter. Light perfume adds fragrance to the garden. Ideal specimen or tub plant.Grows to 2.5m high x 2m wide in the first 10 years.

x Butterflies

Deep yellow flowers and an upright habit make this a particularly desirable new hybrid from the USA. A beautiful garden specimen.Grows to 3m high x 2m wide in the first 10 years.

soulangeana Lennei Alba

Outstanding beautiful form of the Lennei Magnolia with globular flowers of pure creamy white. Flowers have thick petals that are resistant to damage from heavy weather. Ideal for the smaller garden. Fragrantly perfumed.Grows to 2.5m high x 2m wide in the first 10 years.

stellata Star Magnolia

Multi branched compact bush. Pure white star shaped flowers in profusion. Excellent tree for the smaller garden and also suitable for tubs.1.5m wide x 1.5m high in 10 years.

stellata RoseaMulti branched compact bush. Pink in bud. The star shaped flowers open to a light pink and fade to almost white as they age. Excellent for the smaller garden or tubs.1.5m wide x 1.5m high in 10 years.

Vulcan

Compact upright growing small tree with stunning burgundy red flowers up to 25cm in diameter in early Spring. Show-stopping specimen for the smaller garden.Grows to 3m high x 2m wide in the first 10 years

Apollo

An exceptionally heavy and large flowering hybrid from Mark Jury in New Zealand with deep rose pink buds opening to an intense pinkish purple star shaped flower. Stunning garden specimen. Fragrantly perfumed.

Grows to 4m high x 3m wide in the first 10 years.

Athene

Vigorous upright tree with huge flowers that are heavily textured with petals of white and violet pink. Another stunner from Mark Jury in New Zealand. Beautiful garden specimen. Fragrantly perfumed.Grows to 4m high x 2.5m wide in the first 10 years.

Care and MaintenanceMagnolias 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.

Magnolias have shallow roots, so they won’t disturb underground pipes, footings, foundations or pathways.

PlantingDeciduous magnolias are best planted when dormant, typically in late autumn 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.Gently remove the upper layer of soil from the container or root ball until you expose the topmost root. It should be within the top 2 inches (5 cm) of the surface.Remove the container and make four evenly spaced slices down the sides of the root ball. Use a knife, trowel or shovel to make 1-inch (2.5 cm) deep slices. This process helps eliminate circling roots that otherwise might constrain root growth.Dig a hole at least 1.5 times as wide as the container or ball.Dig the hole slightly less deep than the depth of the root ball.Place the root ball so the upper most root is even with or slightly above the surface of the surrounding undisturbed soil. In the case of clay soil, the root ball should be placed so the upper most root is higher than the undisturbed soil surface so that 10-33% of the root ball is exposed.Do not cover the top of the root ball with soil. You may apply a thin layer of mulch over the root ball. Fertilizer is not necessary at planting.

To Prune or not to PruneAlthough pruning magnolia trees is not necessary, young trees can be shaped as they grow. Trimming a magnolia tree when it is young will also improve the health of the tree and encourage more blooms. Mature magnolia trees do not recover from pruning and can sustain fatal wounds. Therefore, magnolia tree pruning on older specimens should only be done as a last resort when necessary.

PropagationCuttingsStarting a magnolia tree from cuttings produces trees much faster than seedlings. Two years after you root a magnolia cutting, you may get flowers, while with a seedling, you can wait over a decade.A large percentage of the cuttings fail. However, why not have a go!The first step in propagating magnolia trees from cuttings is to take cuttings in the summer after the buds set. Using a knife or pruner sterilized in denatured alcohol, cut 6- to 8-inch growing tips of branches as cuttings.Place the cuttings in water as you take them. When you get all you need, remove all but the upper leaves of each cutting, then make a 2-inch vertical slice in the stem end. Dip each stem end in a good hormone solution, and plant in small planters filled with moist perlite.Position the planters in indirect light, and tent each one with a plastic bag to keep in humidity. Mist them often, and watch for root growth in a few months.

Air Layering

Another form of propagation.It involves wounding a living branch, then surrounding the wound with moist growing medium until roots form.To accomplish magnolia air layering, try it in early spring on one-year-old branches or in late summer on that season’s growth. Make parallel cuts circling the branch about 1½ inches apart, then join the two lines with another cut and remove the bark.Place damp sphagnum moss around the wound and tie it in place by wrapping with twine. Secure a sheet of polyethylene film around the moss and secure both ends with electrician tape. Once the air layering is put in place, you need to keep the medium damp all the time, so check frequently. When you see roots protruding from the moss on all sides, you can separate the cutting from the parent plant and transplant it.

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