So You Want a Magnolia Tree in Your Yard…
First, cheers to you for making a smart decision!
Magnolias are notoriously easy to care for trees that are the perfect marriage of low maintenance and gorgeous, no matter what specific type of magnolia you choose. That’s the perk of magnolias being the oldest flowering tree we know of - you’re getting millions of years of evolution’s genetic wisdom working in your favor.
We’ve published so many blogs on growing and care for magnolias (that you should absolutely check out for seasonal specifics), but here’s the gist:
- Sun is good! Magnolias love full sun and can take a lot of heat..
- Water once a week in the summer, and once every 2-3 weeks in the winter.
- Picking a spot that has great drainage is the key to success with this tree. Standing water after storms? Don’t plant it here.
- Prune in the winter.
- Fertilize twice a year (in Spring and Fall) with a slow release tree and shrub fertilizer.
- Pest issues? Rare, but neem oil is your best friend.
- Harsh winters? Plant next to the side of your home, or out of intense winds.
Really, you can’t get more effortless with tree care.
So… Now what?
It’s time to choose your magnolia.
The Owner’s Shortcut
Co-owners and self-professed tree huggers of Seeds of Life, Julie & Matt Roth, have their own personal favorites. If you’d like a shortcut for your decision making, skip to their favorites and see if these suggestions are right for your climate area!
Julie’s Pick: The Fairy Magnolia
“I really love the Fairy Magnolia. It gets these beautiful little velvety black buds when it’s about to bloom. When they open up, it’s a gorgeous white flower. She’s quite fast growing and very fragrant. We’ve got ours planted in our back yard, and in the spring, you can smell the sweetness of the flowers from the driveway out front. She’s also really hardy and has great foliage. I love taking cuttings for flower arrangements, they just look spectacular.”
Matt’s Pick: The Kay Parris
“Right now, I’m really loving the Kay Parris magnolia. It’s a kind of Southern Magnolia, or Magnolia grandiflora. It flowers more than a regular Southern Magnolia. Lots of flower power! It’s a little more compact, so it suits a wide variety of landscapes. It’s dense foliage with absolutely beautiful leaves, and you can even grow them in a container. I’ve got one in a pot at the front door that we’ve had for 5 years now, and it's as happy as can be. It’s just a great little tree.”
Magnolia Grandiflora
We commonly know Magnolia grandiflora as the Southern Magnolia. What most folks don’t realize is that there are sub-types of Magnolia grandiflora, each with their own unique characteristics. People love this family for its evergreen trait. These trees do best in Zones 6-10, which is most of the southeast.
D.D. Blanchard
Classic, timeless, and truly foolproof: this is the tree most people imagine when they think of a Southern Magnolia. This species grows tall (around 60ft), and it grows fast! Massive ivory and cream blossoms with a signature sweet scent dot red-brown backed leaves in the warm months.
Bracken’s Brown Beauty
Named for Ray Bracken, of the Bracken Nursery, this tree is famous for its curly foliage and noble stature. This tree will reach a staggering 40ft tall and boasts nearly 20ft wide, and it produces medium sized creamy blooms in the summer.
Little Gem
As the name implies, the Little Gem is all the best parts of the Magnolia grandiflora family… but in miniature! At most, this tree will be 25ft high. Its leaves are slender, but they have the signature brown backs of this family. The Little Gem packs what Matt calls “flower power,” meaning it’ll flower heavily from April - October once it’s matured.
Kay Parris
Matt’s Favorite! The Kay Parris is between a Little Gem and Bracken’s Brown Beauty in size. It’s a phenomenal candidate for potted/container gardening, and it also has a strong flowering trait. For your own personal style, prune this tree into a topiary shape by your front door!
Teddy Bear
Matt loves this tree for its low maintenance and “tight habit,” which means it doesn’t tend to grow very wide. In fact, this tree would do great right next to a home or a building. Unlike other species, this tree doesn’t require much pruning, making it a great option for homeowners who enjoy easy, low maintenance style landscaping.
Magnolia Virginiana
This family of magnolias is native in and around the southeastern United States, but you’ll find these species all up and down the coast, even into the midatlantic and northeast areas. These Magnolia virginiana species are more cold-hardy than Magnolia grandiflora, and they grow a little smaller in stature - around 35ft at most. Magnolia virginiana are happiest in Zones 5-10 and are generally semi-evergreen (evergreen in warm climates, deciduous in cold ones).
Moonglow
This variety maxes out at around 30ft tall, and it boasts a beautiful cup-like ivory bloom that carries an almost citrusy scent. With dense, semi-evergreen foliage, people love this plant for its cold hardiness.
Silver Mist
Of the Magnolia virginiana, the Silver Mist is Matt’s favorite. It grows similarly to the Moonglow, but it’s naturally more symmetrical (therefore requiring less aesthetic pruning work). The backs of this tree’s foliage carry a silver hue to them, instead of the copper you’re used to seeing in the grandiflora family.
Keltyk
The Keltyk species is the perfect cross between the Silver Mist and Moonglow. The leaves of this tree are narrow, but the white blooms are as fragrant as ever. The tree naturally grows in a tall and slender pattern, making it great for small yards.
Magnolia Lilliaflora
If flowering is important to you, you’re going to love Magnolia lilliaflora! This family of magnolias are both deciduous (not evergreen) and extremely well known for their stunning colorful blooms. These trees are also incredibly cold hardy, making them well suited to live in Zones 4-8.
Magnolia Ann
Capping its growth around 12-15ft tall, the Magnolia Ann is a fan favorite for folks who want the ease of magnolia care with the best of magnolia beauty. This tree grows like a large rounded shrub, and it loses its leaves each winter. Before it regrows its foliage, the Magnolia Ann erupts in vibrant blushing white-pink blossoms at the start of spring.
Magnolia Jane
The Magnolia Jane grows very similarly to the Magnolia Ann, but with one main difference: flower color! While the Ann features white and pink blossoms, the Jane sprouts a bolder color. These flowers take on a pink-purple hue that’s notably deeper than the Ann.
Black Tulip
This species is new on the magnolia scene! Again, while this grows similarly to the Ann and Jane, the Black Tulip blooms in a rich red-purple color not often found in magnolias.
Magnolia Michellia: The Fairy Magnolia
Julie’s Pick! From the Magnolia Michellia family, the Fairy Magnolia grows around 12ft tall and is typically grown as a flowering hedge. Plant several of these trees next to each other to produce this effect, and in the spring, you’ll get a wall of flowers! Coloration on this tree ranges from white, to cream, to blush, with blooms about the size of your palm. This tree is happiest in Zone 7, but it has the same range as Magnolia grandiflora.
Magnolia Soulangiana: The Saucer Magnolia
Last, though certainly not least, the Saucer Magnolia is one of our taller growing (30-35ft) deciduous magnolias that can absolutely handle colder climates. It’s all the best parts of Magnolia lilliaflora and michellia, but much, much larger! The saucer-sized flowers on this tree are a lovely shade of purple at the base, pushing pale pink near the tips.
So… which tree makes the cut in your yard?
Reach us with your questions via email or social media!