The magnolia tree enchants us with its blossoms in spring. We show what you should consider when planting, caring for and propagating your magnolia.

Magnolias enchant both with their flowers and their fragrance

A real gem among the trees is the magnolia (Magnolia). Not only the perfect shape of the trees, but especially the fragrant blossoms make spring that much more beautiful.

Anyone who has ever walked past a blooming magnolia tree in spring knows how it sweetens the day: the sight is overwhelming and the scent simply incredible. But magnolia trees are not only beautiful in botanical gardens and parks. The plant can also enchant you and passers-by in your own garden.

Magnolia: importance and properties

Magnolias are fascinating plants - and there are various reasons for this: On the one hand, they have wonderful, large flowers that spread an enchanting scent in spring and early summer. These flowers are particularly striking because they usually appear before the leaves sprout. On the other hand, magnolias are also very interesting from a historical point of view, because they are one of the oldest flowering plants in the world. Therefore, their appearance is still quite original. The petals are arranged in a spiral outward rather than in one or more rings like most other flowering plants. The fruit of the plant looks just as primitive. The small, deep red fruits hang from the cone-like and woody infructescence on small threads, but they are poisonous. Magnolias belong to the magnolia family (Magnoliacea) and are native to America and East Asia. However, the evergreen or deciduous trees and shrubs have long been used as ornamental plants in Europe.

The infructescences of the magnolia look strangely primitive because the red fruits hang out on short threads

Magnolia species and varieties

More than 120 species belong to the magnolia. So there is no lack of choice, because there are also various cultivars of the species. We have a small selection of types and varieties herecompiled for you:

  • 'Black Tulip': This hybrid of different species has arguably the darkest flowers of all magnolias. A coloring between dark violet and crimson is its own. The variety is hardy to -22 °C. It already shows its flowers from April, which unfortunately can become a problem in regions with late frosts. In a mild climate, however, it is a great garden tree, not exceeding five meters tall either.
  • Evergreen Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora):What is special about this species is that it does not shed its leathery, shiny leaves. Unfortunately, this species comes from regions with few frosts, so temperatures below -10 °C become dangerous.
  • Purple Magnolia (Magnolia liliiflora):The purple magnolias remain rather small with a maximum height of three meters. They are beautiful to look at not only as individuals, but also in groups or even as a hedge. The purple flowers with long petals appear in May. They even bear a certain resemblance to the flower of lilies. The intensively purple colored variety 'Nigra' and the variety 'Susan' are well known.
  • Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata):This species is originally from Japan. Its flowers shine in pure white and are reminiscent of large stars due to the narrow petals. Since this species blooms early, the flowers are endangered by late frosts in some regions. However, the plant remains quite small and is therefore suitable for many gardens.
  • Cucumber Magnolia (Magnolia acuminata):Only after the first leaves do the flowers appear in this species from May. These are greenish yellow with a touch of pink. Although this species is not as conspicuous as some other magnolias, it is quite insensitive to late frosts due to its late flowering. It gets its name from the cucumber-shaped fruits that appear after flowering. An interesting color combination is offered by the 'Blue Opal' variety, whose petals are dark blue on the outside. When the flower then blooms, there is a wonderful contrast to the greenish-yellow colored petals on the inside.
The late flowering cucumber magnolia belongs to the tall growing magnolias
  • Summer Magnolia (Magnolia sieboldii):The summer magnolia also blooms late. As with the cucumber magnolia, the white flowers appear after the leaves in May or June. She is with it tooperfect for areas with late frosts, especially as it is also very hardy.
  • Tulip Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangeana): This magnolia hybrid is the most popular among magnolias grown in Central Europe. Their flowers have a shape similar to that of tulip flowers. The plants can grow into trees up to nine meters high. While the cultivars 'Amabilis' and 'Linei Alba' are bright white, the flowers of 'Alexandrina' are pink at the base. 'Rustica Rubra', on the other hand, is almost dark in color.
Tulip magnolia grows like a tree and is very picturesque

Buy a magnolia tree: you should pay attention to this

Magnolias can accompany you for a lifetime. Therefore, invest some time in choosing the right type and variety, because in addition to flower color and size of the plant, there are a few important points to consider. Winter hardiness is a crucial point here. Depending on the region, it can also be very important whether the species is an early bloomer or belongs to the late bloomers. If you also want to see flowers soon, you should invest in a specimen that is sufficiently old. We have summarized everything you need to consider when buying magnolias here.

Plant Magnolia

For planting the magnolia, the location is crucial. Plenty of sun, little wind and sufficient humidity are just the thing here. Enrich the soil with acidic peat soil before planting to achieve the optimal pH value. After planting, you should surround the base of the plant with bark mulch to protect the soil from drying out. The best time for planting is during the winter months. Detailed instructions for planting the magnolia can be found here.

Propagating Magnolia

You can easily propagate magnolias yourself. Of course, sowing the seeds is exciting, but they need a cold stimulus before they germinate. Alternatively, you can also try cuttings. However, a high success rate can also be achieved with propagation using sinkers or mosses. In general, however, the propagation of magnolias needs one thing above all: time. Magnolias tend to be slow when it comes to offspring. It can take years for a young seedling to grow into a mature tree. You can find out exactly how the individual ways of propagating magnolias work here.

Care for Magnolia

Magnolias are not veryin need of care and usually get along well on their own. Pests are usually hardly a problem with this plant. If the location is right, a lot has already been achieved. There are still a few things to consider.

With the right care, your magnolia can grow into a real gem

Watering the Magnolia

Magnolias like it humid, so the base of the plant should be covered. If the plant is not in a meadow anyway, you can remedy this with some bark mulch. Young plants in particular should be watered regularly. Older specimens have an extensive root system and are quite self-sufficient. They only need a little extra help when it's dry. Especially in autumn, when the magnolia is preparing its buds for spring, the plant should be sufficiently watered. However, be sure to avoid waterlogging.

Pruning Magnolia

Magnolias should only be pruned when absolutely necessary. However, the plant should remain undisturbed for at least three years. If you have decided to cut back, late summer is the right moment. Always cut back unwanted, diseased or dead branches to the trunk to promote wound healing. More details on pruning magnolias can be found here.

Fertilize Magnolia

The fertilization of the magnolia is in principle quite simple. In spring you can use a good portion of compost as fertilizer or work slow-release fertilizers such as our Plantura organic universal fertilizer into the soil. With that, the most important thing is already done. For more information on fertilizing magnolias, click here.

Magnolia blossom: Why isn't my magnolia blooming?

There can be many reasons for a missing flower. Some plants are simply too young to flower. Other magnolias are in the wrong location and therefore do not feel comfortable. Autumn drought or incorrect pruning can also be the cause of a lack of flowering. However, frost is often to blame for the lack of flowering. Winters that are too cold or late frosts in spring then freeze the buds. Find out here what you can do to get your magnolia to bloom again.

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Trees